Shatterheart
by MarisaRoseheart
Summary: Bruixe returns for Part Three of the Twilight Avenger trilogy. When a Councilor's disappearance signals trouble for the Eternal Kingdom, Bruixe is dragged into the conflict against her will, and learns that she may have more at stake than she thought...
1. Prologue

Well, folks, Bruixe is back by popular demand, for Part Three of what I'm now calling the Twilight Avenger trilogy. (Sounds important, doesn't it?) Buckle in, people, because we're going to introduce some new characters, bring back a few old ones, and who knows? There's a lot of room for people in this plot.

Oh, and for those of you that are new (as in haven't read _The Last Nobody _or _Silver Eyes_), shame on you. Go back and read them. Right now. Because I guarantee I'm going to lose you in like three paragraphs. And that would just be sad.

I don't own any of the Kingdom Hearts characters, worlds, or anything else that I might get in trouble for using. I do, however, claim credit for my OCs. And for the record, yes, I know this chapter is painfully short. I promise there will be an update very soon. That said, enjoy.

* * *

_Open up your eyes  
__And see these warning signs  
__Breaking through your heart and all the reason of your mind  
__Open up to find  
__Your action leaves behind  
__The very hope that's given for the world to feel alive  
_- Jeremy Camp, "Open Up Your Eyes"

* * *

"My lady?" echoed a timid voice through the hall.

The Lady of White Sands drummed her fingers against the arm of her high-backed chair, gazing impassively at her servant. "Speak up, Rawlings, and be quick. What news of the Watch?"

"The Watch is moving, my lady," he replied hastily. "A unit of ten, led by Councilor Danthus."

"He came himself?" the Lady mused.

"With ten Watchmen," Rawlings repeated.

She snorted. "The pawns will be no trouble. The Watch grows soft of late," she declared. "The years have dulled their blades, it seems. I shall have to remind them of the strength of the Old Bearers."

"But, my lady," argued Rawlings, "General Danthus is also –"

"Let him come," the Lady chuckled imperiously. "Let him come."

* * *

Danthus shielded his eyes from the bright sun of the Eternal Kingdom, scanning the dunes around him for any sign of danger. All he saw were his own soldiers and the pale reddish stone of the manor before him. High walls surrounded the building, intended as a guard against sandstorms, not men, he knew. Nevertheless, they were a foreboding obstacle.

"Hanna," he called, beckoning to his lieutenant. "What do you see?"

"The walls are deserted, sir," reported the woman, whose quick wit and fierce determination made up for her small, even tiny, stature. She was one of only a few women in the Watch, and the only one who had accompanied Danthus on this particular mission. "The front gate appears to be unbarred."

Danthus nodded, face betraying no sign of his anxiety. The situation appeared safe, but something in the grizzled Councilor's gut sent an instinctive warning through his blood. He ignored it. "Shall we see ourselves in, then?"

"Yessir," Hanna replied cheerily, waving over the rest of the Watchmen. "I dolove housecalls."

They moved in a loose formation through the outer courtyard, coming to a halt at the manor door. Hanna tested the handles. "Locked," she announced.

_It's the missions like these that will be the death of me,_Danthus thought, running a hand over his short, iron-grey beard. He raised his Keyblade, Proud Covenant, and unlocked the door.

They entered the front hall and fanned out, every hand resting on the hilt or shaft of their various weapons. A glint of something shiny caught his eye; he moved toward the high chair at the back of the hall.

It was a fragment of some sort of metal, jagged on the edges, sparkling with a light that seemed to be its own. Danthus thought it looked somewhat familiar; he reached for it, curiosity overpowering his apprehension.

"General!" he heard Hanna cry.

The Councilor turned immediately and found himself staring into a pair of steely blue eyes.

"Hello, Danthus," said the woman, and he knew no more.


	2. Dreams

I know I confused some of you, so hopefully this'll clear things up

I know I confused some of you, so hopefully this'll clear things up. _The Last Nobody_ was in fact Part One of this trilogy. _Silver Eyes _is Part Two. Yes, I know that chronologically _Silver Eyes_ should come first. I don't care. I wrote TLN first, I intended people to read it first, therefore it is Part One.

That said, you should not read this without having read TLN. You'll be very very lost. Now, if you've read TLN but not _Silver Eyes _(shame on you) you're probably okay… but I'd still go back and read it if I were you. You can probably figure some of what Bruixe's Organization time was like, but believe me, you need the whole experience. Go read it. Please.

*pants* Okay, I'm done. The majority of these characters I'm using aren't mine, the exceptions being Bruixe and any of the Eternal Kingdom characters minus Terra, Ven, and Aqua. Enjoy.

* * *

_I don't wanna live, I don't wanna breathe  
__Unless I feel you next to me  
__You take the pain I feel  
__Waking up to you never felt so real  
__I don't wanna sleep, I don't wanna dream  
_'_Cause my dreams don't comfort me  
__The way you make me feel  
__Waking up to you never felt so real  
         -_Skillet, 'Comatose'

* * *

**A/N:** yay fluff. :)

* * *

"Bru-ixe…"

A girly, singsong voice woke Bruixe from her sleep. "Mmm," she groaned, rolling over onto her stomach and burying her head in the covers. "What time is it?"

"Six A.M.," replied the voice.

Bruixe threw a pillow at the source of the voice and was rewarded by a huff of indignation. "It's my day off," she muttered. "Come back in three hours. Or ten."

"But Bruuu-ixe," the voice complained, giving her name way too many 'u's, "you hafta wake up!"

"I'll take care of it," said a second voice. "Get lost, Kairi."

Goosebumps rippled down her spine as warm lips met the back of her neck. Strong arms wrapped around her waist, warming her through the thin sheet.

"Am I allowed to wake you up at six?" Riku murmured into her ear.

"Let me think about that one," Bruixe replied, trying to turn over, but Riku held her fast, mouth moving back and forth across her neck.

"Hey, I can't get up if you won't let me," she told him.

"Oh, now you're anxious," he mocked, but let her turn over, meeting her raised eyebrow with her favorite boyish grin.

Bruixe locked her arms around his shoulders and brought her face to his, lightly tracing the shape of his lips. Riku crushed her even tighter to his chest, one hand sliding up between her shoulder blades, the other buried in her long black hair.

He smelled like salt and palm trees; Bruixe could never get enough of it. It was like a drug, an addiction. She ran her hands over the strong muscles of his back and shoulders, but very little could distract her for long against the irresistible taste of his lips against hers.

"Alright, break it up, you two," called a brash voice from the doorway.

Riku disentangled himself first, tilting his face toward his friend. "Sora, you're a filthy hypocrite," he taunted.

The younger boy smirked. "Hey, we're gonna miss the sunrise if you guys fool around any longer."

Riku sighed and leaned down to kiss Bruixe one last time. "Good morning," he told her.

"Good morning," she replied breathlessly.

* * *

Days seemed to pass like a dream here on the islands. For the first time in her life, Bruixe could honestly say that she felt happy – really, truly happy. Here she could make a new life for herself, away from anyone that could compare her to Xehanort or blame her for past mistakes.

The only thing that still bothered her were the dreams.

Not dreams of the Eternal Kingdom; no, when she'd defeated Xehanort the dreams had stopped. These dreams were of her time in the Organization.

The details of the dreams varied, but one thing was always the same. The faces of Axel and Demyx, the first friends she'd ever had, haunted her. And she knew why.

_I couldn't save them,_ she thought.

Not that she hadn't tried. She'd busted Axel out of Saix's personal torture chamber, spirited him away to the mountains of the Eternal Kingdom. As for Demyx, she'd had every intention of getting him out. It wasn't her fault that Axel had gone after Sora, or that Saix and Xaldin had ambushed her on her way to save Demyx.

At least, that's what Bruixe told herself. But the dreams had other ideas.

"Ground control to Bruixe," Riku called, waving a hand in front of her eyes. "Come in, Bruixe."

"Ha ha," she said, shoving him. She _had _been staring off into space, she realized.

He grinned. "Whatcha thinking about?"

"Nothing," Bruixe told him.

"Uh-huh," he replied, unconvinced. "C'mon, spill it."

"I said it's nothing," she argued.

"Dreams again?" he guessed.

"No," Bruixe answered. It was _technically_ true. After all, Riku was probably referring to the old nightmares of her father. She'd told Riku about those dreams. But talking about Demyx and Axel might make Riku ask questions… questions she didn't necessarily want to answer.

Riku reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind Bruixe's ear. "You're a bad liar, you know," he said conversationally.

"Shut up," she grumbled.

"Are you going to tell me, or am I going to have to annoy the heck out of you first?" Riku wanted to know.

"Try me," she challenged. "I'm a pretty tough shell to crack."

He looked as though he was about to argue, but Sora was running up behind them, and he tossed something heavy at them; it thunked into the sand. Bruixe picked it up. It was a glass bottle, corked and containing a rolled-up slip of paper.

"Message in a bottle," the Keybearer said. "Riku, did you tell her yet?"

"Not yet," Riku replied.

"Ooo, let me, let me!" Kairi exclaimed.

"The suspense is killing me," Bruixe muttered sarcastically.

"We're going to a ball!" the redhead babbled excitedly. "It's an invitation from the King. The Hollow – er, I mean, the Radiant Garden Restoration Committee is throwing a party to celebrate the completion of construction, and they've asked King Mickey to host it!"

"Kairi found the invitation yesterday when you were at work," Sora told Bruixe. "Apparently no one's heard of mail service."

"A ball," Bruixe repeated. "As in… dancing."

"And dresses and makeup and shopping!" Kairi sang.

Bruixe groaned.

"Awww, come on!" Kairi pleaded. "It's every little girl's dream to go to a ball! It's just like the fairy tales!"

"Whatever," the former Organization member grumbled, wondering what little Rubie would've done at a ball. _Probably set the thing on fire,_ she thought, and laughed quietly to herself.

"You're not gonna let me say no to this, are you?" she sighed.

Kairi grinned. "Not a chance."


	3. Ew, Shopping

Hello all. In case you were wondering, Bruixe's shopping experience is based on the one I went through last year before prom. And yes, mine was every bit as bad as Bruixe's.

I was going to try to post links to Bruixe and Kairi's dresses, but the computer's being stupid. For all you people who care, check my profile bio, I'll see if I can get it up there.

Hey, this chapter marks Bruixe and Sora's first civilized conversation! Yeah! And now, enjoy.

* * *

The disease is growing, it's epidemic  
I'm scared that there ain't a cure  
The world believes it and I'm going crazy  
I cannot take any more!!!!  
I'm so glad that I'll never fit in  
That will never be me  
Outcasts and girls with ambition  
That's what I wanna see  
- Pink, "Stupid Girls"

* * *

Bruixe prided herself on being a woman of strength. She had faced unsurpassable warriors, withstood agonizing torture, even eradicated an entire army.

It was kind of funny how easily that strength could be rendered completely useless.

"What do you think?" Kairi asked.

Bruixe stared at the monster in the department store mirror for a few minutes, then simply said, "It's pink."

"Of course it's pink!" her friend exclaimed. "It's such a great color on you!"

"It's got lace on it," Bruixe pointed out.

Kairi pouted. "You know, it wouldn't kill you to display a feminine side once in a while."

"I never said I didn't want to be feminine!" Bruixe argued. "But seriously! Lace! Frills! Not gonna happen! Who ever came up with skirts anyway?"

"You ran around wearing a cloak for a year," Kairi retaliated. "That's pretty much the same thing."

"We wore pants under that," Bruixe told her.

Kairi scowled but reluctantly handed Bruixe another hanger. Bruixe pushed it back at the redhead without a second glance. "No more pink," she growled.

"Do you like any colors?" Kairi wondered.

"Black," she answered.

"That doesn't count," the island girl said with something like pity.

"Um… purple?"

Kairi raised an appraising eyebrow. "I might be able to pull that off," she said. "Wait here."

Bruixe extricated herself from the ridiculous pink dress and then rested her forehead against the dressing room wall. _Shopping,_ she thought with disgust. _Yuck._

Kairi returned a minute later with a broad grin on her face, carrying a single dress. "I found one," she half-sang, holding it out.

Bruixe held it up. "I'll never fit into this!" she wailed.

"Of course you will," Kairi disagreed. "My fashion eye is never wrong."

"Not all of us have microscopic waistlines," Bruixe pointed out.

Kairi shook her head, smiling. "Trust me."

Despite her misgivings, Bruixe did in fact manage to wriggle into the dress. Kairi walked around her once, checking the dress from all angles, then clapped approvingly. She turned Bruixe to face the mirror. "Hello, gorgeous," the redhead remarked.

Bruixe's mouth fell open with a little _pop_.

It _was_ gorgeous, she had to admit. Deep violet satin hugged her form, fishtailing out at the bottom. The top was a simple halter, the straps made of a silver chain studded with sparkling crystals. The neckline was a little outside Bruixe's comfort zone, but not unreasonable. Bruixe turned and looked over her shoulder; the back was low-cut, at the small of her back, and a good two feet of train trailed behind her.

"I'll kill myself on that," she pointed out, but she was smiling.

"Not while I'm around," Kairi promised. "Now, let's see… shoes."

Bruixe groaned.

* * *

Two hours later they were collapsed on Kairi's big house, surrounded by shopping bags.

"My feet hurt," Bruixe complained.

"I love shopping," Kairi sighed.

Bruixe threw a pillow at her as the doorbell rang. Kairi ran to get it, and led Sora into the living room.

"That's my cue," Bruixe said, getting up to leave.

Kairi stopped her. "I don't think so," she said wickedly. "After all, if we're going to a ball tomorrow there are some things you need to know."

An uneasy feeling blossomed in Bruixe's stomach. "Like what?"

"Like dancing," the redhead answered.

Sora waved cheerily.

"No," Bruixe said flat-out. "Not going to happen. You're wasting your time."

"I know you don't want to embarrass yourself," Kairi sang sweetly.

Bruixe glared at her, but had to admit the princess was right. "Can't I learn with Riku?"

"No!" Kairi gasped, horrified. "That would spoil it! Besides, Sora's a good partner. He already knows how to dance and all."

Bruixe didn't even want to know that story. "But he's shorter than me," she pointed out.

Sora scowled. "'Scuse me," he muttered. "Hey, I'm doing you a favor."

Kairi shoved her towards Sora, and the Keybearer held out his left hand.

"Well, this is weird," Bruixe mumbled, but took the hand, placing her other awkwardly on his shoulder.

"Tell me about it," Sora agreed.

* * *

Despite her grace on the battlefield, Bruixe soon found that she was a complete klutz on the dance floor. But Kairi's patient guidance soon had her somewhat capable, if not comfortable. Bruixe was actually able to stop worrying about her feet and just let them move on their own. Sora was a good partner, guiding her effortlessly across Kairi's living room floor, and if she stepped on his feet he didn't mention it.

"Is Riku this good a dancer too?" Bruixe wondered as they spun across the carpet.

"I dunno," Sora shrugged. "I've never danced with him."

Bruixe rolled her eyes.

"You know, he's a little worried about you," Sora said.

Bruixe fixed her silver eyes on a spot somewhere over Sora's shoulder. "He shouldn't be."

"He thinks you're hiding something from him," the Keybearer went on.

Bruixe wasn't a good liar, so she didn't even bother trying. "I'm allowed to keep things to myself," she told him.

"But he thinks you're upset about it," Sora pointed out.

"It's not his business."

"Why not?" Sora pressed.

Bruixe groaned. "I'm not getting into this with you."

"I won't tell," he promised.

"Doesn't matter, because I'm not telling you," she argued.

Sora smirked. "Can I guess?"

"No," she replied flatly.

"Can I guess why you won't tell Riku, then?"

Bruixe frowned. "I suppose."

"You're afraid he'll laugh?" Sora guessed.

She shook her head. "Nope."

"Hm…" The Keybearer screwed up his face in an exaggerated thinking-look. "You're afraid he won't like what you have to say."

"Pretty much," Bruixe admitted.

Sora nodded understandingly. "Well, I can respect that… but don't assume. That's the thing about Riku: he'll always surprise you."

"I'll remember that," she said, and they slowed to a stop.

Bruixe realized that it was probably the first real conversation they'd had, and she smiled despite herself. "Thanks," she told him.

"For what?" Sora wanted to know.

Bruixe shrugged. "For listening."

He grinned. "You're welcome."

"Bruixe, you were great!" Kairi exclaimed. "Dancing, I mean. Ooo, I can't wait for the ball!"

"Contain yourself," Bruixe remarked dryly. She gathered the bags that were hers and swung them over her shoulder.

"Thanks for the lesson," she said as she left, but she was pretty sure neither of them heard her, already preoccupied with each other.

_If only Axel and Demyx could see me now,_ she thought with a smirk. _I own a dress._

.com/shop/homecoming-dresses/pinkrose-ballgown-F10_

**.com/2007/09/alfred-angelo_**


	4. Stirrings

Be grateful, people, because I'm s'posed to be writing my English essay right now, and I'm typing Chapter 4 of Shatterheart instead. How much do you love me? Not enough. Lol. Jeez, this chapter's really long...

**L and H:** Heeheehee… I know something you don't know. But it's a surprise…

Oh, and I forgot last chapter's disclaimer, but you guys know only like four of these characters are mine, right? Anyway, enjoy.

_All of the things that I want to say  
__Just aren't coming out right  
__I'm tripping on words, you've got my head spinning  
__I don't know where to go from here  
_'_Cause it's you and me and all other people  
__With nothing to do  
__Nothing to lose  
__And it's you and me and all other people  
__And I don't know why  
__I can't keep my eyes off of you  
_- Lifehouse, "You and Me"

* * *

"I can't do this," Bruixe muttered under her breath.

"Of course you can," Kairi encouraged. "You look gorgeous."

"No, I mean I physically can't do this!" panicked Bruixe. "I'm going to kill myself – these ridiculous heels, and this train…"

"It helps if you walk tall," Kairi told her. "And keep your weight on your toes."

Bruixe took an experimental step and only wobbled a little. She straightened her back as much as she could, and took another step. No wobbling.

"And the heels keep more of your train off the ground," Kairi pointed out.

Bruixe looked behind her and saw that the redhead was right. She turned in a small circle and found that it was nearly impossible to step on her own train. "What if someone else steps on it?"

"You'll trip," Kairi said cheerfully.

Bruixe groaned. "Thanks a lot."

"No time for complaints!" the island princess ordered. "Our escorts are waiting!"

"Oh, boy," Bruixe muttered, but then her friend was pushing her towards the door. Her heart thudded nervously as she entered the hallway.

Riku had been leaning against the wall, looking suave in his black tux and violet vest that exactly matched the color of Bruixe's dress. When he saw her, he jerked upright, face lighting up.

"Hey," he said, smiling.

"Hi," Bruixe replied awkwardly, stepping up to take his outstretched hand.

He pulled her in for a swift kiss, then stepped back. "You look beautiful," he told her.

"So do you, pretty boy," Bruixe replied, brushing long hair out of his aqua eyes. "Shall we?"

* * *

Bruixe had never seen the original castle of Radiant Garden, but she was sure it couldn't compare to the grand sight before her. The ballroom was enormous, with a golden floor and towering golden pillars; every wall was draped in curtains of royal blue and dark magenta, and the north wall was entirely glass, looking out over the famous Rising Falls.

And there were people everywhere; some she recognized, but most she didn't. The Restoration Committee, of course; Leon, Yuffie, Tifa, all of whom she had met in the Chaser War, but also an older man named Cid and a young woman called Aerith. There was a couple who appeared to be part skeleton; a woman with flaming red hair who was oddly unsteady on her feet; a man with arms as big around as Bruixe's waist and his date, whose waist was as slim as one of Bruixe's arms. There was a man who looked oddly familiar to Bruixe, but she couldn't quite place how she knew him; he had the hardened look of a warrior and was accompanied by a smaller blonde girl that looked like his sister. And, of course, there was mouse-king himself, who barely reached Bruixe's knee but carried a presence bigger than mountains.

"Hello, Your Majesty," she said with a smile as she and Riku passed him.

"Hiya, Bruixe," replied the king, waving a gloved hand. "Welcome to the first annual World Ball!"

The music was already playing, a lighthearted minuet, and Riku offered his hand and bowed. "May I have this dance?" he asked, mock-formally.

Bruixe giggled, not just at the joke but at the memories it brought back. "Of course, good sir," she said cordially.

Riku slipped his arm around her waist and brought her close, making her heart do funny things, and then she was gliding across the floor with hardly any effort at all, guided by his firm but gentle steps.

"You're good at this," she told him.

"So are you," he replied.

Bruixe grinned. "Kairi made me learn. It was horrible." Riku was just as good a dancer as Sora, but his steps were longer, more purposeful. Bruixe wondered where he had learned to dance, but decided not to ask.

The music shifted; slowing to a soft waltz, and Bruixe laid her head against Riku's broad chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heart. She let her eyes drift shut, enjoying the warmth and the closeness of him.

"This was a good idea," she murmured.

"Mm-hm," he agreed, burying his face in her hair.

It was a little like being underwater; that feeling that the world was very, very different, but you didn't want it to ever end, Bruixe decided. You never wanted to come up for air, you wanted to just drift there, letting the water swirl around you. But no matter how long you held your breath, eventually you had to come up for air.

Still, she never wanted this moment to end.

The waltz may have lasted a few minutes, or perhaps an hour, or a day, but for Bruixe it was over all too soon. They slowed to a stop near the edge of the dance floor. "I could use something to drink," Riku said.

"Me too," Bruixe responded, but then she spotted a familiar face among the crowd. "Terra!" she yelled, thirst forgotten, and walked as quickly as she could in her silver heels to where he stood.

"I guess I'll go get the drinks," Riku muttered, and disappeared into the throng of people.

"Well, hello, Changeling." Terra greeted her with a swift hug. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

"Very much so," she replied, smiling. She looked at the former Keybearer's companion; she was a girl a little younger than Bruixe, with long, curly blonde hair and a round, soft face. Despite her innocent looks, her smile seemed forced, almost plastered on her face. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Laurenna," Terra introduced them.

"Just Ren," the girl corrected.

"Ren, this is Bruixe," he went on.

The girl's green eyes widened to approximately the size of dinner plates. "The Bruixe?" she gasped.

"The Bruixe," Terra confirmed. He saw the confused look on Bruixe's face. "Didn't you know, Changeling? You're a war hero now."

"A hero?" she repeated dubiously.

"That's right."

Bruixe didn't really know how to react to that. "Well… that's ironic."

Riku returned with two glasses of a reddish liquid; Bruixe took one with a simple, "Thank you."

Terra's companion spotted the glasses and obviously found an excuse to escape the presence of a 'hero'. "Um… I'm gonna go get a drink," Ren stammered, and left.

"Isn't she a little young for you?" Bruixe joked as she ran off.

Terra gave her an I-can't-believe-you-would-even-think-something-like-that look. "Ren has been… temporarily put under my watch."

"Oh." Bruixe frowned. "Why?"

"It's a long story," Terra said dismissively.

"She looked kind of… upset," she pressed, and Riku nodded in agreement. Bruixe examined the Liberator's face. "And for that matter, so do you. What's up?"

He glared at her. "Nothing."

Bruixe shrugged and looked around, confident he would tell her if it was really important. "So who else is here?" she asked. She spotted two Councilors – Isalena, tall and stern, in steely blue, and Garrison, Bruixe's former foster father. "No Danthus? What, is old Ironfist too serious for this sort of thing?" she asked, using the Watch's affectionate nickname for their general.

Terra didn't reply for a long, long time, then appeared to give in. "His Grace is… currently missing," he admitted.

Bruixe's drink fell to the floor in a tinkle of broken glass. "What?" she hissed. "How?"

"About a week ago," Terra began, "General Danthus assembled a squad of Watchmen and set out on an alleged 'secret' mission. He didn't tell anyone where he was going, or why. There were ten of them in all. No one knows what happened… but they never came back."

"How is that possible?" Riku demanded.

"You must understand, we didn't even know he was gone until the next day," the Liberator said. "He left no notice, no word of where he was going. We don't even know if he was in the Eternal Kingdom. Naturally search parties have been sent out… but they have all come up empty-handed."

"He may not even be alive," she whispered, horrified.

"You can see the predicament we're in," Terra agreed, eyebrows knit into a line. "The Council is in utter turmoil. No one can decide whether or not to elect a temporary replacement."

"I'm a little lost," Riku spoke up.

Bruixe turned to him. "The Eternal Kingdom is a democratic republic," she explained. "The people elect representatives to sit on the Council of Nine, who make the decisions for the city. If the Council is split on a decision – that is, four to five – the Senior Councilor, the one with the most experience, decides the final vote. Danthus is – or was – the Senior Councilor. You can see how his disappearance would be a problem."

"What will happen?" Riku asked.

"If Danthus is not found in the next week or so, a new Councilor will be elected," Terra told them. "Councilor Isalena has assumed the position of Senior Councilor until… further notice."

"So who's the kid?" Bruixe wanted to know. "Ren? Does she have anything to do with all this?"

"Her older sister, Hanna, was the lieutenant Danthus chose to accompany him," he replied. "They have no living parents, and no kin that we could find. I offered to take care of her for a time… and a ball seemed a good distraction."

"Terra, the caregiver," Bruixe said, not without affection. After all, Terra had often been her own caregiver, when she was a child.

"It's a weakness of mine," Terra agreed.

The night was long and the dances seemed to last forever, but Bruixe's thoughts kept drifting back to the events in the Eternal Kingdom. Even when the music finally stopped and everyone was shown to the guest rooms – three rooms for women and three for men – she lay awake on the unfamiliar bed, thoughts racing.

The last words Danthus had spoken to her played through her mind like a recording.

"_Go in peace, young Bruixe. Do not carry any regret for us."_

It was obvious Terra didn't want her to get involved. The Eternal Kingdom was no longer her home, and she owed them nothing. Any debt she'd built up had been broken down by her deeds in the Chaser War… and even if they hadn't, the Council had pardoned her from past crimes. _Let the Eternal Kingdom deal with its own affairs,_ she told herself. _That's the sensible course of action._

But the funny thing about having a heart was… sometimes it wanted to do things that didn't necessarily make sense.

Heeheehee… and the plot begins!

And bonus points to anyone who can figure out who I was referring to here:

"_There was a man who looked oddly familiar to Bruixe, but she couldn't quite place how she knew him; he had the hardened look of a warrior and was accompanied by a smaller blonde girl that looked like his sister."_

And no, L, you're not allowed to answer.

Review please.


	5. Truth and Lies

Hey guys, here's another chapter. Again, if you haven't read The Last Nobody, DO IT NOW.

I don't own these characters, blah blah blah. Enjoy.

* * *

_Nothing comes that easy  
Nothing comes for free  
Something comes from nothing if you're willing to believe  
Everything has meaning  
Everything we see  
Are you willing to give up everything?  
You don't need a revelation  
To open up your mind  
Break down all your reasons  
Leave them all behind  
- _Pillar, "Everything"

* * *

Bruixe stared at the ceiling of the guest room for a long time, listening to Kari's quiet breathing next to her. On the other side of Kairi, some girl named Olette – apparently a friend of Kairi's from Twilight Town – was snoring gently.

It was a peaceful setting, but Bruixe still couldn't sleep.

She gave up and got to her feet, pulling on a pair of socks so her feet wouldn't stick on the hard castle floor. Bruixe slipped out the door and padded noiselessly across the hallway onto the balcony above the entrance hall.

A movement caught the corner of her eye, accompanied by the shattering of pottery and a gasp; Bruixe crouched low behind the railing and froze.

Below, a shadowed figure had apparently knocked over a vase and stubbed his or her toe. The figure hopped on one foot, clearly in pain.

Bruixe seized the opportunity to steal across the balcony, darting in and out of shadows. After all, her curiosity always got the better of her, and she was the best eavesdropper she knew. She slid to a stop over the double doors.

From this angle, the figure's face was clearly visible. It was Ren, the girl who had come with Terra. The girl whose sister was missing.

She was sneaking away – in the middle of the night?

Bruixe launched herself over the balcony railing and dropped silently to the floor in front of the girl, falling into a crouch as she hit. "Going somewhere?" she said softly, straightening.

Ren's face was a mask of panic. "Um… no?"

Bruixe gave what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "Look, I'm not going to eat you or anything. What's up?"

Ren stole a furtive glance behind her, at the hallway leading to the guest rooms.

"I don't think you woke anyone up," Bruixe told the younger girl, guessing her thoughts. "They wouldn't have heard that crash all the way back there. Are you always this much of a klutz?"

"Yes," replied Ren reluctantly.

Bruixe grinned. "Well, at least you know it. But for future reference, if you're sneaking around, it's wise to stay away from breakables."

The blonde looked startled, then sheepish. "You're aren't going to stop me?"

"Not if you tell me where you're going and why," Bruixe answered. "Is it about your sister?"

Ren nodded guiltily. "I… I wanna find her."

"Then why not take Terra with you?" Bruixe wanted to know. "I'm sure you can search for her any time. You don't have to sneak out of castles to do it."

The girl looked away.

"Not going to tell me, hm?" Bruixe murmured. "Fine then, I'll just have to guess. Um… you think Terra's in on Danthus and them's disappearance?"

"No!" Ren exclaimed, shocked.

"Hey, I didn't say it would be a good guess," the former Nobody pointed out.

Ren didn't reply.

"Hey, you were supposed to laugh at that," Bruixe pouted. Still no response. "Unless… I was close?"

She could have been talking to the wall for all the answers she was getting. "Come on, chica, you've gotta give me something here. It's not like I'm gonna tell anyone."

"Isalena did it," Ren blurted.

Bruixe blinked. "What?"

"Councilor Isalena kidnapped my sister," Ren repeated. "I know it sounds dumb, but… I just know it. And she's here, which means she's not in the Eternal Kingdom, and I can look for Hanna… only Terra made me come, even though I told him Isalena did it, because he said I shouldn't be poking around people's homes. And he doesn't believe me anyway."

"No way," Bruixe said skeptically. "Isalena would never pull something like that. She and Danthus have been friends for years. We're talking decades, kiddo. Besides, I know her… knew her. She was like my mom, sort of, you know? She wouldn't do something like that, I know it."

Ren glared sullenly at the floor. "I knew you wouldn't believe me."

"Now hang on a second," Bruixe interrupted. "Look, I don't care who you think captured your sister, that's your business. But… Councilor Danthus… doesn't matter what anyone says, he's a good man. And I'm of the personal opinion that bad things shouldn't happen to good people, right?"

"So you'll let me go?" Ren said hopefully.

Bruixe crossed her arms, frowning. In truth she wanted to let the girl go. _But if something happens to her, and I could have stopped her, Terra's going to kill me,_ she thought.

"I can't let you go alone," Bruixe said finally. "The E.K. wasteland is no place for a kid like you to be running around alone."

"So…?" the girl asked.

"So I'm going with you," Bruixe decided.

Ren's jaw fell open with a little _pop_.

"Hey, don't look like that," Bruixe said. "If you're with me, you're safe, which means Terra can't chew me out for letting you run off into danger. And this way I get to do Dan – er, Councilor Danthus, a favor. I owe him one."

"For what?" Ren wanted to know.

"For… well, it's a long story, but basically I did something pretty bad, and the General offered me full pardon."

"Oh, you mean about Councilor Demetre," Ren said knowingly.

"How do you know that?" Bruixe demanded.

Ren cowered under her fierce silver glare. "Um… Terra told me. He tells me a lot about you. But… I won't tell anyone. I think you're cool."

Bruixe didn't know whether to laugh or scowl. She settled for a noncommital grunt. "Well, I might have to hurt him for that," she said.

Ren giggled, then said, "Hey, but what about your friends? They won't miss you?"

_Shit._

Truth be told, she hadn't given a thought to Riku, Sora, and Kairi. Her mind buzzed with possible outcomes, but there was only one conclusion.

"They can't come," she said firmly. "I won't let them."

"But won't your boyfriend be mad?" Ren wanted to know.

"Probably," Bruixe admitted. "But… last time I dragged him into something, I almost got him killed." She shuddered when she remembered that terrifying conclusion to the Chaser War. "No way that's happening again."

_But even if I leave without him, he's bound to follow me,_ she realized. _Scenario one: I leave him a note, telling him not to follow me. Yeah, like that'll happen. He'd do it anyway. Scenario two: no note. He'll still figure it out and follow me. No, I have to leave a note, _she decided._ I'll tell him I felt sick, and went home. They'll go back there first._

She grimaced at the thought of leaving him again, but no way was she getting him involved in her own adventurous whims. It was a sacrifice she had to make. _He means everything to me,_ she realized. _But I'd rather be away from him if it means he's safe._

She propped her hands on her hips and cocked her head. "Alright, tell you what, Ren. I'm going with you. But we're making a side trip first."

"Alright," Ren said, a little reluctantly. "Where to?"

Bruixe grinned. "Home."

* * *

Bruixe bypassed her own little apartment and led Ren down the street to Riku's house. Ren's green eyes were wide as dinner plates again, taking in the tropical surroundings. Bruixe only smiled, remembering her own reaction when she first came to the Destiny Islands.

She knocked loudly on Riku's door, calling, "Mom?"

Riku's mother, Nakia, had long since demanded that Bruixe call her 'Mom' too, seeing as which Bruixe never knew her own mother. "I always wanted a daughter," she'd said, and Bruixe knew better than to argue.

"Bruixe, dear!" Nakia exclaimed as Bruixe came in. "Why, aren't you supposed to be at that ball? And at this hour of night! Oh, who's your friend?"

"This is Ren, and… well, it's a long story," Bruixe told her. "Riku can explain it to you later. But… I need a favor, and I think only you can help me."

"Well, what is it?" Nakia asked kindly.

"I'm going away for a while," Bruixe told her. "To the Eternal Kingdom, where I used to live. There are a few things I've got to do there. But… I don't want to drag Riku into it, only I'm worried he'll follow me. I've left him a note telling him I came home. If he comes here, I need you to keep him from following me. Please?"

Nakia processed this for a moment, then said, "You're not getting yourself in trouble, are you, dear?"

Bruixe smiled broadly. "Nothing I can't handle, Mom. I promise."

"Well, alright then," she replied, smothering Bruixe in a loving hug. "Do be careful."

"I will," Bruixe told her. Over Nakia's shoulder, she spotted the door to Riku's room. A thought occurred to her, and she grinned. "Do you mind if I snatch a little something from Riku's room?"

"Within reason," Nakia replied with a small smile.

Bruixe turned to Ren. "Be right back." She stole into Riku's room and flipped on a light, scanning the shelves of his closet until she found what she wanted.

A wide grin spread across her face as she slipped off her black halter and pulled on Riku's favorite black vest in its place. She draped the halter across Riku's bed, then scribbled a quick note on a piece of paper from the desk:

_Miss you already. Try not to worry – I'll be back soon._

_~14~_


	6. Protectors

Hey guys. A lot of this chapter is from Riku's POV. I know I don't usually do that, but it just seemed to fit. And it'll probably happen again a few times, especially since there's a lot more to this story than just Bruixe's side of things… lol. You don't know what I'm talking about. But I do. mwahahaha.

This chapter's a little short, but you'll survive. I have faith in you.

* * *

_Caught up in the middle  
__Had no choice, had no choice  
__Birthright forgotten  
__So silent, no voice  
__I see you, you know who  
__Little sister, little sister  
__Now realized, little sister  
__Overlooked, little girl  
_-Creed, "Sister"

* * *

Getting to Councilor Isalena's home turned out to be a lot harder than Bruixe had anticipated.

First off, the manor was outside the eastern City walls, and you had to go through the Fire Gate to get there. However, the Fire Gate had been pretty much destroyed with all the fighting there – it turned out that Bruixe, Riku and Sora hadn't managed to defeat them all, and Donald and Goofy had had their hands full at the Fire Gate.

Ren explained that the gate was now under construction, and to get into the desert you had to go out the north gate and hitch a ride with one of the merchant caravans that traveled that way.

"Lovely," Bruixe commented. "Detours. And every minute we waste is one that Terra or Riku have to catch up to us."

"Which would be trouble?" Ren asked

Bruixe shrugged. "Lectures I can handle. Let's just focus on getting into the desert."

They climbed into a wagon with seven other people, and it became clear that Ren wasn't comfortable in crowds; the younger girl kept nervously stroking the handle of her bow, which was slung across her back along with a quiver of bluejay-fletched arrows.

"That's a pretty little stick thrower you've got," Bruixe observed as the wagon lurched over the uneven ground. The bow was some sort of silvery wood – Bruixe guessed some sort of birch – patterned with sky blue lines in a wavelike design. "Can you use it?"

"A little," Ren replied, blushing. "I mean, I can hit targets and stuff. But I've never… well, I've never really had to use it."

Bruixe glared across the wagon at a middle-aged man, who was eyeing Ren as if she were a gemstone and he were appraising her. "Something the matter?" she demanded angrily.

"How much for the little one?" the man replied with a hoarse voice.

Bruixe clenched her teeth and stood up, despite the fact that the caravan was moving. Beside her, Ren fell silent and seemed to shrink into the canvas wall. "Just who do you think you are?" Bruixe snarled.

The man rose to his feet, taller and thinner than Bruixe would have guessed, but with oddly hunched shoulders and a crooked nose. "My customers like them young," he hissed appreciatively. "Soft skin."

Bruixe lunged forward and grabbed the man's collar, shoving him against the wagon's hard wooden bench. "Keep your eyes to yourself, creeper," she growled in his face, "otherwise someone might gouge them out, you get me?"

"It's just good business," the man wheezed. "I'm sure you'd get a good price yourself, my lovely."

It was possibly the worst thing he could have said under the circumstances. Bruixe's right fist came around in a swift uppercut to his jaw, which cracked audibly; she hauled him up and slammed his face into her knee for good measure, then heaved him out the open back of the caravan, where he sprawled satisfyingly in the dirt.

"Teach you to mess with my mates," Bruixe muttered, sinking back into her seat and rubbing her knuckles as if they had touched something dirty. Seven pairs of eyes – Ren's included – watched her with awe and a little fear, then quickly darted away.

"Thanks," Ren said quietly, looking at her hands, folded neatly in her lap.

"No worries," Bruixe told her. "I said I was going to protect you, and I'll be damned if I don't keep that promise."

Ren smiled a little, then said, "You remind me of my sister."

"Stop, you're embarrassing me," Bruixe replied, but a little voice in the back of her head commented, _Well, I never had a sister of my own._

* * *

"She WHAT?" Riku demanded.

His mother clucked disapprovingly. "You know, she told me this would happen. But darling, you have to realize, Bruixe isn't a child. She knows what she's getting into, and she clearly doesn't want you involved. You should respect that."

Riku looked to Sora and Kairi, a silent plea to back him up. Kairi shrugged. "Bruixe can take care of herself, you know," the redhead pointed out.

Sora snorted. "That's for sure. But knowing her, she'll leave a trail of bodies wherever she goes."

Riku growled and slammed his fist against the tabletop. "She doesn't want me involved? Why? I'm a better warrior than she is, I could help."

"She probably doesn't want you to get hurt," Kairi answered.

"If she's worried about megetting hurt, it means she's not safe either," Riku argued.

There was silence in the room as everyone absorbed that.

"She didn't seem to think there was any danger," Nakia told her son.

"What did she say?" Riku demanded, then realized that he came across rude. "I mean… please."

Nakia waved her hand dismissively. "She was leaving for a while, she didn't want to drag you into her affairs, and she wanted me to keep you here. And frankly, I agree. Sometimes a girl has to do things herself."

"Is that all?" Riku wanted to know.

"She got something out of your room," Nakia added.

Riku sprang out of his chair and darted for his door, looking around wildly. Bruixe's favorite black halter was draped across his bed, along with a note in her distinctive, slanting handwriting.

_Miss you already. Try not to worry – I'll be back soon._

_~14~_

Riku sighed and crumpled the paper in his hand, lifting the black fabric to his face; it still smelled like Bruixe, that peculiar mix of juniper and holly berries, like a wintry garden.

A thought occurred to him; Bruixe had changed clothes. He glanced at his closet; the shelf where his favorite vest usually sat was empty.

"Silly girl," he muttered, then returned to the kitchen where Sora, Kairi, and his mother waited.

"I don't care what she says," Riku announced, "She's up to something, and I'm gonna be a part of it. You guys don't have to come, I know it's not your business –"

"Yes it is," Kairi interrupted. "Bruixe is our friend too, you know. Like the sister I never had."

"Yeah, and island life is so boring," Sora joked. "Gotta liven it up somehow."

Riku looked to his mother, who was still smiling, but her eyes were sad. He knew she was remembering the last time he left home – and didn't come back for two years. She'd never said a word beyond welcoming him home and being glad he was safe… but he knew what it had done to her. Riku knew he would never be able to make up for worrying her that much.

"Don't be like that, Mom," he told her gently, giving her a hug. "We'll be back in no time, all four of us."

"You know I wouldn't let you go if I didn't believe that," she replied, eyes brimming. "Be careful. Be safe."

"I promise," Riku said.

* * *

"Riku, slow down!" Sora yelled for the fourth time.

Riku wheeled around angrily and crossed his arms. Around them, crowds swarmed around them, more people than he had ever seen in one place at one time. "We've barely just made it to Kingdom City," he pointed out irritably. "At the pace you're going, we'll never catch up to Bruixe."

"Look," Sora told his friend, voice low. "I can run for days if I want, and I know you can too. But Kairi's not used to this constant traveling stuff."

"So you're saying you want me to take herpace?" Riku demanded.

"Don't talk about her like that!" Sora said defensively. "I'm just saying, Bruixe isn't your only friend, and she's more capable than Kairi. Keep your priorities straight, man."

Riku ran a hand through his silver hair, impatient, but Sora was right. "Fine," he relented. "You stick with Kairi. I'll go ahead and catch Bruixe, and we'll wait for you."

Sora frowned. "You sure? I mean, when you go off on your own… bad stuff happens."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Riku asked, mock-angry, shoving his friend playfully. Sora shoved him back.

"It means don't do anything stupid," the younger boy told him.

Riku snorted, flicking his hair. "I'm not you."

"And clearly not as cool," Sora replied offhandedly.

Riku frowned. "How will you know where to find us?"

Sora shrugged. "Like I said, she leaves a trail of bodies. And you're pretty recognizable, Mister Silver Hair. Trust me, someone will be able to tell us where you are."

Riku shook his head, said, "Well, then, catch you later," and took off running down the street that he remembered would take him to the Temple of Heroes, where the Council was. Surely someone there could tell him where to find his missing Avenger.


	7. Mysteries

Hey guys, sorry it's been a while, but I'm grounded again and being forced to update from school computers. I've also sprained my shoulder, which means I can't reach the keyboard with one hand, so typing's pretty slow.

Who knew I'd ever be writing from Sora's POV? I guess the kid's growing on me. Anyway, enjoy.

* * *

_Ever haunted by the trappings of this life  
__Sweet redemption just in front of me  
__Well now it seems once again that I've lost another  
__One of the ones who have broke through the wall, damned  
__Fate won't compromise  
__I have sold my soul and now the devil's laughing  
__You did decide  
_- Disturbed, "Guarded"

* * *

The unnerving thing about the desert was, there was nowhere to hide.

Being a naturally sneaky person, hiding places and escape routes were something that Bruixe needed in order to be comfortable. But here, out on the open desert plain, she felt way too exposed, like an all-seeing eye was watching her.

However, it also meant that she and Ren saw the men-at-arms, nearly eighty of them, surrounding Isalena's manor before the men-at-arms had a chance to spot them.

"What the hell?" Bruixe hissed.

She dragged Ren down behind a scruffy patch of ocotillo, knowing that the bare branches would only hide them from faraway onlookers. She peered at the soldiers in the distance, trying to make out the insignia on their armor, but could only make out that the color was red.

"Can you tell who they are?" she asked Ren.

Ren squinted. "The symbol's a cardinal carrying a dagger," she said. "I think that's Councilor Rondot's crest. But why would Councilor Rondot's men be out here?"

Bruixe frowned, trying to remember the man Ren spoke of. Terra had told her that Rondot was new to the Council, only having been elected two years ago – but that was all Bruixe knew. "Does he have something against Isalena or something?" Bruixe wanted to know.

"I don't know," Ren said, shrugging. "I guess… well, they don't agree very often. He's kind of a proud guy, doesn't like to admit he's wrong."

"Power-hungry?" Bruixe guessed.

"Maybe," Ren murmured.

_Isalena's not here yet, _Bruixe thought, _because she's still in Radiant Garden, theoretically. If Rondot knew that… then he came here for a reason. Waiting for her, maybe? Yeah, right, waiting with eighty soldiers. Sounds like an ambush to me._

She stifled a gasp. _What if he's responsible for Danthus' disappearance? If he's killing… if he's killing Councilors, Isalena would be next on the list. With all the senior members out of the way, Rondot can seize power…_

She quickly explained the situation to Ren. "We've got to get in that manor," Bruixe decided. "Isalena has a communicator to the rest of the Council, inside, in case she ever needs to speak with them quickly. We've got to let someone know what's going on."

"Why can't we just go back to the City?" Ren wanted to know. "Or just wait for Councilor Isalena here? It'd be safer."

"Going back would take too long," Bruixe told her. "And if we wait out here, we run the risk of being found."

"So we go back and wait," Ren suggested.

"And risk missing Isalena if she takes a different route home," Bruixe pointed out.

Ren looked worried. "But we'll never get through there… there's too many soldiers."

Bruixe smirked. "Girl, you don't know who you're talking to." She pointed to a tiny ribbon of brown to their right that wound across the cracked, dry plain before disappearing into an opening in the wall of the manor. "See that? That's our way in."

"A river?" Ren said dubiously. "No, not even a river. That's tiny. Like, a stream. You probably can't even drink it, it's so muddy."

"Isalena probably uses magic or something to clean it up for drinking. Out here in the desert, it's probably all she's got. Just keep as low as you can," Bruixe told Ren. "All the way in the water."

"They're gonna see us," Ren worried.

"No, they're not," Bruixe said confidently. "The water's flowing towards the manor, so it should cover up our movement."

Of course, if anyone looked directly at them, they'd be sunk. But Bruixe didn't say that.

They slipped into the water, oddly cool for the hot desert; Bruixe assumed the origin of the stream was up in the mountains, where the weather was colder. Idly she recognized that it would take forever to get the mud out of her jeans after this.

"Keep your head down," Bruixe whispered, leading Ren downstream.

They almost made it. With twenty yards to go till they reached the waterway, Bruixe heard a dull shout from her left.

_Shit._

Three soldiers were running towards them, but the rest didn't seem to have heard. "Stay down," Bruixe ordered Ren, and clambered out of the water, her Keyblade Fallen Angel snapping into her hand.

She tried to knock them out without permanently hurting them – they were just following orders. It wasn't their fault their liegelord was a power-hungry maniac.

The first fell easily, with a blow to the side of his head with the flat of her Keyblade. The second was ready for her, though, and blocked her first two blows; she dispatched him with a swift rabbit punch between his eyes.

"Look out!" Ren yelled from the stream.

Bruixe whirled, instinctively flinging her Keyblade up to protect her head. A heavy broadsword clashed against her blade; with a feeling of dismay, Bruixe recognized the triple stripes of a lieutenant on the man's arm.

This one was no common soldier, then. He knew what he was doing.

Bruixe twisted around him, chopping at him from behind, but she hit wrong and Fallen Angel merely slid off the side of his armor. She dove closer to her opponent, trying to get in too close for him to use the heavy sword.

He simply kicked her away with a booted foot, and she sprawled into the dirt. The broadsword came up for a finishing blow – but suddenly the man staggered, a blue-feathered arrow sprouting from the gap between his helm and breastplate.

Bruixe sprang to her feet and lunged at the man, slicing through his throat.

Bile rose in her throat as blood coursed down her blade, and she immediately flung it to the ground, where it winked out of existence.

_Don't think about it!_

She sprinted back to the stream and half-dragged Ren, still clutching her silvery bow, to the opening in the wall. A steel grate blocked their passage; she blew it open with a blast of her unusual twilight magic.

They climbed out of the stream and immediately Bruixe bent over double, throwing up the entire contents of her stomach into the muddy water.

"You need help?" Ren asked worriedly, but Bruixe shook her head grimly, wiping her mouth with the back of her arm.

The image of the lieutenant's face – contorted in surprise and pain – was burned into her brain, a bloody vision of death. She retched again, nothing coming up this time, cold sweat running down her face and arms.

"I'm fine," she choked when the sickness had passed. "Fine. I just – oh, God, I've never – oh, God…"

Ren crouched next to her, wrapping the bigger girl in a hug. "Thank you," she whispered. "If you hadn't – then we'd be…"

"I know," Bruixe whispered. "Had to happen – but I've never…"

She brushed her hair out of her face and exhaled sharply. "I'm fine," she said firmly, more for her own sake then Ren's. "Let's just… get out of here, yeah?"

Bruixe turned and strode purposefully into the hall leading out of the waterway, trying to think about anything but the man she'd just killed.

* * *

"See what I'm talking about?" Sora grumbled. "The woman leaves behind a trail of bodies."

Kairi smacked him on the arm. "That's not very nice," she told him reprovingly. "I wonder what that guy did to tick her off?"

"If she broke his jaw and nose and threw him out of a wagon, it was probably something bad," Sora pointed out.

He shielded his eyes from the bright sun and squinted towards the horizon. "That's the Councilor lady's place, right? Where he said they were headed? Why are there soldiers standing around? What's-her-face shouldn't be home yet…"

"I don't like the look of this," Kairi said nervously.

The soldiers were swarming around like an upturned bucket of ants. "D'you think they caught Bruixe sneaking in or something?" Kairi wondered.

"You know her," Sora assured his girlfriend. "No one can catch that girl. Knowing her, she probably just caused some trouble or something. Well, it's a decent enough distraction for me. Hey, I'll bet Bruixe used this stream to get in. Are you coming?"

Kairi nodded and followed him into the waterway and then into the manor proper.

"Smells funny in here," she noticed. "Like someone got sick."

"C'mon," Sora said, motioning her to follow, and they walked through a long, winding hallway to a foreboding-looking door. He pushed it open with a _creak_, and they entered to find a huge, grey-tiled foyer, undoubtedly the entrance hall to the manor, with arched ceilings and a high-backed chair at one end.

"Who's there?" demanded a voice.

Sora held up his hands in the universal gesture of 'we come in peace' and replied, "I'm looking for a friend."

"Sora?" the voice replied, and then a tall, dark-haired figure stepped out from behind a pillar. "Don't you ever follow orders?"

Sora grinned at Bruixe, whose jeans were covered in mud and - _blood?_ Sora wondered, but decided not to ask. The older girl was also wearing a black vest that Sora was pretty sure he recognized as Riku's. "Not when they're stupid orders. What, didn't think we could handle something like this? What did you do to get the soldiers out there so riled up, anyway?"

Bruixe shook her head and turned around rather than answer. "Ren, you can come out," she called. "He's a friend."

"Who's Ren?" Kairi wondered.

"A friend," Bruixe repeated as a blonde girl emerged from behind another pillar, just as muddy but without the gore. "Hey… if you're here, then does that mean Riku came along too?"

Sora and Kairi exchanged looks. "He's not with you?" Sora asked, though he already instinctively knew the answer.

Bruixe's heart skipped a beat, and she felt a twinge of panic grip her chest at the thought.

Riku, gone.


	8. Betrayal

Hope you had a happy Thanksgiving, guys. And for all you readers not from the U.S. (which is awesome, by the way, I have international fans!), Thanksgiving is this random holiday where Americans stuff themselves full of food for no apparent reason. :)

Anyway, I know it's been a while, but now the fun begins. I don't own the original Square Enix characters, sad as that is. Enjoy.

* * *

_Sometimes I feel like I trusted you too well  
__Sometimes I just feel like screaming at myself  
__Sometimes I'm in disbelief I didn't know  
__Somehow I need to be alone  
__Don't stay  
__Forget our memories, forget our possibilities  
__What you were changing me into  
__Just give me myself back and don't stay  
__Forget our memories, forget our possibilities  
__Take all your faithlessness with you  
__Just give me myself back and don't stay  
- _Linkin Park, "Don't Stay"

* * *

"You LOST him?" Bruixe exploded.

Sora backed away with a panicked look on his face. "He went ahead to try and catch up to you – he told us he'd see us later –"

"I thought you told them to stay home?" Ren pointed out, confused.

"Riku's not exactly the type to sit around and wait," Kairi explained patiently. "Not when the people he cares about are in danger."

"I'm not in danger," Bruixe hissed. "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

Sora pointed in the direction of the soldiers outside. "With that out there, don't even try to tell us you weren't in danger."

"Wegot through them just fine," Bruixe began, but a tiny voice in the back of her thoughts reminded her that this wasn't quite true. She coughed slightly. "But what if Riku didn't? He doesn't know the danger –"

"Riku's not dumb," he told her pointedly. "It's not like he's gonna just waltz up to those bucket-heads and strike up a conversation."

* * *

_Great plan, _Riku berated himself. _Real smart. Let's just waltz up and strike up a conversation. Oh, yeah, I'm looking for my girlfriend. What? She just so happened to kill your lieutenant? Oh, my bad. Sorry 'bout that._

To his credit, there had been no feasible way into the manor without walking past at least ten of them. And how was hesupposed to know that Bruixe had taken out a few?

One of the two soldiers that were half-dragging him across the ground gave him a rough shove, sending him sprawling into the sand at the feet of someone very important-looking. _Yuck_, Riku thought as he spat out sand. _If I had Soul Eater right now…_

But the threat was empty, and Riku knew it. Even if he did summon his Keyblade, it wouldn't do him any good, what with his hands tightly bound behind his back. Besides, there had to be eighty men at least, more than he could defeat without killing them. And if they knew he was a Keybearer, it would make him more valuable to them. If they thought he was just some kid, they'd be more likely to let him go. _Yeah, right,_Riku thought. _They're just gonna let me walk on out of here. Sure._

"Who is this?" asked a loud, brash, voice.

"A prisoner, Lord Rondot," replied one of Riku's captors. "He's in league with two intruders that came through a few hours ago."

"And where are these other intruders?"

"They escaped into the manor, sir," the soldier said apologetically. "They came in through the stream, two of them, youngish. Both girls. A few of ours tried to apprehend them, but one of the girls defeated them. Lieutenant Stenson's dead, sir."

"Why weren't they followed?" Rondot asked coldly.

The soldier shifted uncomfortably. "Sir, you ordered us to stay out of the manor."

Rondot absorbed this, then looked down at Riku. "Who are you, boy?"

Riku said nothing, only returned the man's glare.

"He was following the first intruders, sir," one of the soldiers piped up. "Said he was looking for one of 'em."

"And what am I supposed to tell Lady Isalena?" Rondot demanded. "That you fools were too incompetent to keep out two nosy little girls? She will arrive in a matter of minutes, and I'm to tell her you let two spies into her OWN HOME?"

Riku was confused. This was Councilor Isalena's manor, and Rondot's soldiers were guarding it? If Riku remembered correctly, Rondot was a Councilor, too, but evidently he was under Isalena's command. _He's guarding it while she's away?_ he wondered. _From who? What does she have to hide?_

"What is all this, Rondot?" came a cold, high voice.

Every pair of eyes in the vicinity turned to look at a stern, imposing woman with steel grey curls and icy blue eyes.

"Lady Isalena," Rondot greeted her. "It's good to see you again."

"All is well, I assume?" Isalena asked.

Rondot shifted his weight nervously. "Not… exactly, Councilor. It seems my men are less competent than I had expected… I have failed you, my lady."

"Well, what happened, Councilor?" demanded Isalena.

"A few hours ago, an intruder – two, actually, together – broke through our perimeter," Rondot admitted. "One of them took out three of my men – and she killed my lieutenant."

Isalena blinked. "You say 'she'? Tell me, what did this intruder look like?"

A soldier stepped forward from the ranks, sporting a broken nose and a black eye. "Tall, ma'am, mayhap as tall as your Ladyship, with black hair. She was fast – faster'n any I've seen – with these terrible, glowing silver eyes."

Under other circumstances, Riku would've found this description immensely funny.

"Bruixe," Isalena breathed, and Riku's amusement imploded. _Of course she knows Bruixe,_ he realized with a sinking feeling. _That war-hero thing… and didn't she say Isalena was her old foster-mother or something?_

"Tell me, Rondot, is she in the manor now?" Isalena demanded.

Rondot nodded. "We did manage to capture a boy who claims to have been looking for her," he said, indicating Riku.

Isalena fixed her steely gaze on him. "Who…" she began, but then smiled, sending chills down Riku's spine. "Of course… the boyfriend. How cute."

Riku struggled to keep his face from betraying any emotion.

"This may in fact work to our advantage, Rondot," Isalena purred. "We shall see."

* * *

"Bruixe, we need to keep looking," Ren reminded her urgently. "The communicator, remember? You said Rondot's setting a trap for Isalena, we need to warn the Council."

"Communicator?" Sora asked.

"It's like a link to the city," Bruixe murmured. "It… it looks like a mirror, kind of, only black. I know it's here somewhere."

Sora seemed to notice her distraction. "I'm sure Riku's fine," he told her gently. "Right now, we've gotta focus."

Bruixe nodded grimly. "We need to split up – check all the rooms. C'mon."

They'd only been searching a few minutes when a blood-curling scream filled the halls. Bruixe burst out of the room she'd been in, Sora and Ren right on her heels, to find Kairi trembling on her knees by a wall, both hands clapped over her mouth.

"What is it, what's wrong?" Sora cried, dropping to his knees beside her.

Tears streaming down her face, Kairi lifted a hand to point at the door she'd just come through.

"It's okay," Sora whispered, wrapping her in his arms. "You're okay."

Bruixe stepped away from them. "Stay here," she told Ren, and pushed the door open, slipping inside.

The breath deserted her lungs.

"Danthus," she whispered.

The Councilor's eyes were closed as if in sleep, but that was the only thing peaceful about the scene. A gleaming sword, slim, rapier-like, was thrust through the old man's heart, pinioning him to the blood-smeared wall; his limbs were splayed about him, held in place by slim daggers through his palms.

Bile rose in Bruixe's throat, but a small, far-off corner of her mind observed that the killing had been done ceremoniously, almost ritualistically. What kind of sick, twisted person could have done this?

The answer was all too clear. It was inconceivable that Isalena could not have known about this – not if it was here, for all to see. But she'd defended the Councilor!

"_Councilor Isalena kidnapped my sister," Ren repeated. "I know it sounds dumb, but… I just know it. And she's here, which means she's not in the Eternal Kingdom, and I can look for Hanna… only Terra made me come, even though I told him Isalena did it, because he said I shouldn't be poking around people's homes. And he doesn't believe me anyway."_

"_No way," Bruixe said skeptically. "Isalena would never pull something like that. She and Danthus have been friends for __years__. We're talking decades, kiddo. Besides, I know her… knew her. She was like my mom, sort of, you know? She wouldn't do something like that, I know it."_

She'd trusted Isalena, defended her, insisted that Ren was wrong. And yet – Danthus, dead, displayed like a prize here on Isalena's wall –

"Hello, Bruixe," said a voice that Bruixe recognized immediately.

She tore her eyes away from the gruesome sight and whirled on the Lady Councilor, face a mask of fury.

Isalena stood flanked by Councilor Rondot – they were together? – and, of all people, Riku, hands bound behind his back. But Bruixe couldn't process all this, not now; she could only think about one thing.

"Did you do this?" she screamed, hands balling into fists. "How could you? I trusted you, Isalena! Danthus trusted you! He was your friend! And this is how you repay him!?"

"Oh, dear," Isalena sighed, sadistically calm. "And here I thought we could be friends."

Bruixe lunged for the older woman, murder in her heart, but then there was a metallic _snick_from Rondot, and blinding pain lanced through her shoulder, and she crashed to the ground.

"Bring her," Isalena's voice commanded, and then Rondot's boot connected with her ribs, and she blacked out.


	9. Awakening

Hey guys. I guess you're sick of me apologizing for being late… but stuff happens…

Anyway, there has been a VERY DISAPPOINTING lack of reviews. Get with the program, people. Tell you what, I'll make you a deal… if the reviews pick up, I'll update more often. Fair enough?

Insert a disclaimer of your choice here. Enjoy.

* * *

_Feels like the weight of the world  
__Like God in heaven gave me a turn  
__Don't cling to me, I swear I can't fix you  
__Still in the dark can you fix me?  
__Freefall, freefall all through life  
__If you love me  
__Then let go of me  
__I won't be held down by who I used to be  
__She's nothing to me  
_- Evanescence, "Weight of the World"

* * *

As if the pain in Bruixe's ribs and shoulder wasn't enough, there was this annoying poking sensation on her face.

"Helloooo?" said a voice.

"Riku?" Bruixe murmured groggily.

"Um… close," the voice said. "Well… not really. But good guess."

"Ren, I don't really think that's doing a whole lot for her condition," admonished another voice. The poking ceased.

"Well, she woke up, didn't she?" Ren pointed out.

Bruixe opened her eyes.

Ren was crouched over her, green eyes worried, but she smiled as Bruixe looked at her. "Good morning, sleepyhead," she said.

Bruixe tried to sit up, but Ren held her back down. Ordinarily, the younger girl's strength wouldn't be enough to stop Bruixe, but her ribs gave a pang of protest. "Easy," said the second voice, which she now recognized as Kairi. "Just sit tight a minute."

There was a peculiar tingling sensation in her abdomen, and then the pain vanished. "What did you do?" Bruixe asked in wonder, sitting up with ease.

"I healed you," Kairi said, a hint of smugness in her voice. "Didn't you know? I already passed my classes back on Destiny Island. I'm a full-fledged healer now."

"And you couldn't have done that last year when I was frickin' dying on the beach?" Bruixe muttered.

"You weren't dying," Kairi said patiently. "And I didn't really know what I was doing, then."

Bruixe groaned. "Don't tell me that. For the sake of all that is good and holy, do not ever say anything like that ever again. Where are we?"

"In some sort of dungeon," Ren told her. "Rondot's men put us in here."

Bruixe growled. "Where are Sora and Riku? Riku was here – he was captured, too..."

"They're in a different cell, I guess," Kairi said. "They're – they're probably fine. Well, as fine as we are, anyway."

"Bruixe?" Ren whispered. "What was… what was in the room? Where Isalena found us?"

Kairi's face paled, and Bruixe put a hand on her shoulder. "It was… it was Danthus," she said brokenly. "She – that traitorous bitch – she killed him. Murdered him."

"Dead?" Ren panicked. "But Hanna – Hanna was with them! What if…" Tears started streaming down her face.

Kairi pulled Ren into a hug, and Bruixe balled her hands into fists. "She won't get away with this," she swore, more to herself than to her friends. "Even if I have to kill her myself."

The door to the tiny room they were in creaked open, and Bruixe leapt to her feet, taking up a protective stance between the door and the other two girls. For an instant, another scene flashed into her mind – she stood the same way, hell-bent on protecting someone, only this time it was not Saix in front of her, but Isalena herself.

"You," Bruixe growled.

"Fully recovered, I see?" Isalena said pleasantly. "Very good. That girl is quite the healer, isn't she? Very useful."

"You won't touch her," Bruixe spat.

"Dearest, I'm not here for your friends," Isalena laughed delicately. "I'm here for you."

* * *

"Where are we going?" demanded Bruixe.

Her hands were tied behind her back, a blindfold over her eyes; all she knew was that she was in another wagon, bouncing over uneven ground. She guessed they were near the mountains; she could smell pine needles and spruce.

"Can't you guess?" Isalena asked, and the wagon stopped.

Strong hands shoved her up and out of the wagon; someone cut the blindfold from around her head, and she blinked a few times to clear her sight.

"Welcome home, Bruixe," Isalena said smugly.

It was her old house, or what was left of it. Bruixe hadn't seen it in eleven years. She hadn't been allowed to go back after her father was killed – the Council was adamant in keeping her away from anything that might have encouraged her to follow in Xehanort's footsteps. The juniper bushes Bruixe used to love were overgrown now, spreading across the ground in tangles of needles and blue-white berries; many of the windows were broken, and the wood was rotting in some places.

Bruixe swallowed, trying not to show her discomfort. "Why are we here?"

"There's something here I think you should see," Isalena told her, motioning for Bruixe to follow.

For half a second, Bruixe considered running – she knew these woods better than anyone. But she didn't want to think about what Isalena might do to her friends if that happened. Growling, she followed Isalena into the house.

"Do you know why your father built his house here?" Isalena asked conversationally.

"No," Bruixe remarked.

"Neither did I, for the longest time," the Councilor replied. "A giant house, away from the city, secluded in these godforsaken woods, isolated from all civilization. It makes no sense."

"Neither does building a manor in the desert," Bruixe pointed out.

Isalena waved a hand in dismissal. "I must admit, I was curious. Curious enough to see for myself – what lured him to live here? The great Xehanort was no hermit, I was sure of it."

"My father wasn't 'great'," Bruixe spat. "He was a murderer."

"Your father could have saved this entire world," Isalena said coldly. "He was a genius. Misguided, perhaps… but a genius."

A sinking feeling settled into Bruixe's stomach. "You were one of the Councilors that denied him, if I recall," she said uneasily.

"His idea was good, in theory," Isalena said. "An army of extraordinarily strong soldiers that will not rebel, or disobey orders – that seek out the strongest opponent and destroy it first. It would have been a remarkable asset to the Eternal Kingdom. However, your father wanted to control them all himself. It could not be allowed to happen."

They stopped at the door to Xehanort's study. "But I admit, I was intrigued by his ideas. I wondered how he had ever come up with such a theory. So I came here."

She pushed the door open, and Bruixe gasped.

The floor of her father's study had rotted away, revealing a staircase to an underground tunnel. "Impossible," Bruixe whispered. _It must have been hidden here, for years – if the house hadn't been abandoned, it might have stayed hidden. I never knew…_

"Curious?" Isalena said, starting the descent. "I was."

Bruixe followed her again, knowing that she'd never get to the heart of this if she didn't.

"I never dreamed what your father might have found," Isalena continued. "After all…. No one really believed this place existed. It was the stuff of legends, you see. A myth. But your father stumbled upon it – whether by coincidence or divine intervention, I'll never know."

The tunnel ended at a metal door embedded in a rock wall. Strange symbols were etched into the metal, and Bruixe knew instinctively that her father had not built it. Without waiting for Isalena, she pulled on the handle; it was surprisingly light, and swung open without much effort.

Inside was a small, round room, the walls made of the same metal as the door, with similar symbols creating flowing patterns around the room. A single sculpted chair stood in the middle.

"What is this place?" Bruixe whispered. Her voice echoed, as if the room were many times larger than it appeared.

"The Room of Awakening," Isalena said simply.

The name surprised her; Bruixe had heard it before, but not in the Eternal Kingdom.

_"…pointless to divide our forces," the Lancer was saying._

"_Nah," Xigbar disagreed. "Divide and conquer."_

"_The saying is, 'unite and conquer,' fool," Xaldin told him._

"_No it's not," the older man argued. "Divide and conquer. Alexander the Great."_

"_Who?"_

"_That's not the point," Xigbar said, shaking his head. "The point of the Oblivion headquarters was to find the Room of Awakening."_

What?_ Bruixe wondered._

"_Meaningless," Xaldin scoffed. "It doesn't exist."_

"_Xemnas seems to think it does," Xigbar shrugged. "And this is the guy that found the first one. Who's to say there isn't a second?"_

"_He didn't discover the Room of Sleep, he __built__ it," argued Xaldin._

"_Are you sure?" asked Xigbar cockily. "You were there, __Dilan__."_

_Xaldin stiffened visibly. _Must be his other's name_,__ thought Bruixe._

"_Yeah, you know what I'm talking about," Xigbar went on. "That room in the basement was there long before we took over. We weren't allowed in. So of course it was the first place Xemnas went when he was in control."_

"_But what's down there?" the Lancer mused._

"_Who knows? Gotta be something, otherwise Xemnas wouldn't bother. And I'm guessing the Room of Awakening is important."_

"_I suppose," Xaldin agreed reluctantly. Then, "So he thinks it's in Castle Oblivion?"_

_Xigbar shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not, but it's at least somewhere to start looking."_

Isalena noticed the look of recognition on Bruixe's face. "You know of this place?" she asked.

Bruixe shook her head slowly. "I've heard the name… and I've heard of the Room of Sleep…"

"Also a place of wonder," Isalena said. "The old legends tell of two places hidden in the worlds, no one knows – knew – where. They say these Rooms are left over from the beginning of time, when there was but one world. Before the Fall. These Rooms hold the power to cross over into other realms."

"Other worlds?" Bruixe wanted to know.

"No," Isalena told her. "Other realms. Well, as far as we know – as far as your father knew – there are only two. The realm of the living, and the realm of the dead."

Chills ran down Bruixe's spine.

"The Room of Sleep – which we now believe to be located in Radiant Garden – allows a living person passage into the realm of the dead. Not the whole person, mind you – but their consciousness. Their body appears to be asleep. Hence, the Room of Sleep."

"And what does this one do?" Bruixe asked, waving a hand around at the walls.

"This is the Room of Awakening, as I said," Isalena replied. "The opposite of the Room of Sleep. Here, souls can be brought from the realm of the dead to our own realm."

"You can bring back the dead?" Bruixe gasped.

A flash of the dreams she'd been having returned to her – Axel. Demyx.

"Only a shadow," the Councilor told her. "There is a link that connects them to the realm of the dead – they must always return. However…" She smiled, and Bruixe was reminded of a cat waiting to pounce. "Can you imagine why your father found this room especially fascinating?"

Bruixe's heart thudded unevenly. "I guess anyone would be 'fascinated' with this place."

"Do you know the power of the Keyblade your father wielded?" Isalena hissed.

"It creates Chasers," Bruixe said, a little taken aback at the question.

"Not quite," Isalena told her. "Fallen Angel – aptly named – has the power to destroy magic. To cut through the intangible ties that connect the worlds. Xehanort discovered that he could sever the link that connects the souls of the dead to their own realm. The result… he called a Chaser."

"No," Bruixe whispered.

"These wraiths walk the worlds, searching for that which would make them whole. They are drawn to the life, the vitality of those with strong hearts," Isalena told her, now smug. "And when they are destroyed, they do not die. They cease to be."

The heart-rending screech of a dying Chaser filled her ears, and Bruixe had to force herself to breathe.

"Why did you bring me here?" she asked, though she already knew the answer.

"Isn't it obvious, dearest?" Isalena laughed as if at an endearing pet. "You are going to create an army. Not Chasers, no – I think we'll call them Wardens, yes? An army for the Eternal Kingdom. The protectors."

"Why?" Bruixe demanded.

Isalena's smug face fell, replaced by a mask of rage. "This world is corrupt," she stated, steel in her tone. "The Council – a bunch of doddering old fools – bickers and argues over the price of grain while the true problems lie in the city itself. Mankind has fallen, Bruixe, darling. People kill each other on the streets. Children go hungry while fat, lazy nobles put on airs and lounge around their jeweled estates. The people need a strong ruler – not a complaint committee."

Slowly Bruixe began to realize what Isalena was saying. "And I imagine you think yourself a 'strong ruler', then?"

"I can do more for this world than you know," Isalena spat.

"By enforcing your rules with an army of demons?" Bruixe growled. "Because that's what you're saying!"

"When the people go astray, it is the duty of the elite to guide them to the correct path," Isalena said magnanimously.

"Why kill Danthus, then?" Bruixe shouted. "He was just as strong as you – stronger!"

Isalena's eyes glittered dangerously. "Danthus was a fool," she said. "All the Council is. Battle you may understand, dearest, but politics you do not. Often to create a new order, the old must be torn down."

"You're not stopping with Danthus," Bruixe realized, horrified.

"It is a decision I regret, but it must happen," the Councilor said coldly.

Bruixe shook her head. "I won't be a part of this."

"You don't have a choice, love," Isalena told her.

"The hell I do!"

Isalena pierced her with a steely glare. "You will create an army for me," Isalena said. "Or your friends will be the ones to pay the price."

_She lured me here on purpose,_ Bruixe realized. _Not just me – but Riku, and Sora, and Kairi too – she's been planning this all along. She thinks she can use me._

A thought struck her. _Not thinks. She knows she can use me._

Bruixe had always sworn she would die for her friends… but she'd never imagined she'd have to murder for them.

* * *

review. or else. :)


	10. Don't Be Selfish

Merry Christmas, people. Here's your present. :)

As always, I don't own any of the Square-Enix characters, worlds, ideas, blah blah blah.

If you haven't been listening to the songs I'm listing here, then I highly suggest you do this time. Red is an AWESOME band and this song is really applicable to this chapter... I always listen to them while I'm reading through for typos. Anyway, enjoy.

* * *

_And this is how it feels when I ignore the words you spoke to me  
__And this is where I lose myself when I keep running away from you  
__And this is who I am when, when I don't know myself anymore  
__And this is what I choose when it's all left up to me  
__Breathe your life into me  
__I can feel you  
__I'm falling, falling faster  
__Breathe your life into me  
__I still need you  
__I'm falling, falling  
__Breathe into me  
_-Red, "Breathe Into Me"

* * *

Isalena must have been damn sure of Bruixe's answer, because she'd brought the former Nobody to the one place where Bruixe might have had a chance to act against her – Kingdom City.

"The people expect an answer to the mysteries surrounding them," Isalena had told Bruixe. "We're going to give them one. That is, I will give them one. And with the great heroine Bruixe at my side, who will doubt me?"

"Crazy bitch," Bruixe muttered.

Isalena had only laughed as if it were a compliment.

Now Bruixe stood slightly behind the Councilor as Isalena addressed the enormous crowd from the steps of the Temple of Heroes.

As frustrating as it was, Isalena had been right. Bruixe desperately wanted to scream, to warn someone, to expose the Councilor for the lying scum she was. But she couldn't – not without putting Riku and her friends at risk.

"It is with the uttermost regret that I must inform you of the tragic death of our beloved Councilor Danthus," Isalena was saying.

_Yeah, only you forget the part where you skewered him like a piece of meat,_ Bruixe thought bitterly as the people gasped and wailed.

"It is my belief that this heinous act was committed by a force unlike any other this world has faced," Isalena continued. "I speak of something I know very little about, I must admit – however I am very sure that this threat comes from beyond the Eternal Kingdom."

Shocked murmurs from the crowd. _And how the hell do you explain this 'threat' getting past the Watch?_ Bruixe wondered, easily seeing the holes in Isalena's story.

Thinking about the Watch, though, gave her an idea. She couldn't say anything aloud – but maybe there was someone who could still help her. Someone who knew her well enough to see that something was wrong.

She scanned the crowd and found him easily, his unruly brown head sticking up nearly a foot above the others.

_Terra,_ she thought desperately. _Look at me, dammit._

But the Liberator's eyes were fixed on Isalena, narrowed in a confused frown.

"To meet this threat will take more strength than this world has ever seen," the Councilor went on, her face the picture of determination and remorse. "That is why, effective immediately, I am seizing emergency powers as senior member of the Council of Nine."

Terra's eyes widened in shock, and he glanced at Bruixe, only for a second – but it was enough to realize that she was glaring at him, silver eyes determined.

"What?" she saw him mouth, and she widened her eyes.

_She's lying,_ Bruixe thought, as if she could will the words into Terra's head. _Don't believe her. She's insane. _

She looked pointedly at Isalena, then returned her gaze to Terra and shook her head, ever so slightly.

"And with these emergency powers, I am approving the creation of the first-ever World Army," Isalena said. "My dear comrade Bruixe has agreed to create these soldiers, called 'Wardens,' to join our army, so that no human need be hurt in the coming conflict."

Bruixe saw realization begin to dawn on Terra's face, and fervently thanked whatever higher power might exist that someone had paid attention to her rants about how much she hated her foster mother. Terra had always been the only one who had ever listened. He knew that Bruixe would never willingly agree to do anything for Isalena, much less build an army for her.

"Wardens?" Terra mouthed, and Bruixe shook her head again.

"Chasers," he corrected, and Bruixe nodded grimly, pressing her lips together in a hard line.

Terra turned and pushed his way through the crowd, disappearing among the faces.

It was up to fate now, Bruixe realized. All she could do was hope Terra had a plan.

"I hope for your continued support as we solve this crisis," Isalena finished, spreading her arms to the crowd. "The people of the Eternal Kingdom have always been strong, and will remain so for ages to come."

She turned away, and raised her eyebrows to Bruixe as if seeking approval.

"Big words for someone who's going to kill them all," Bruixe muttered.

"Not all of them," Isalena replied, just as quietly but with a hint of smugness.

* * *

"Wish I knew what the hell was going on out there," Riku growled, pacing around the darkness in his and Sora's cell.

"Nothing you can do, man," Sora said. "Not now, anyway. Relax."

"How am I supposed to relax?" Riku demanded. "I watched her get hurt – she could be dying for all I know –"

"Bruixe will be fine," Sora told his best friend calmly. "Think about it. She's with Kairi, and Kairi is the best healer we know. Remember what I told you? You gotta try and think positive."

Riku grunted. "Positive? We're in the middle of a world we hardly know anything about, prisoners of some crazy lady that pins corpses to her wall, and oh, yeah, we have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA why we're here."

"But we still have each other!" Sora burst out, grinning.

Riku groaned and lightly punched his friend in the gut. "If we survive this, you're dead."

The door swung open and four soldiers stepped through. "You," one said, pointing at Riku. "Come with us."

"Escort service," Sora said wryly. "Gotta like this place."

"Try not to die while I'm gone," Riku told him.

Sora saluted, smirking. "I'll do my best."

* * *

The soldiers led him to yet another cell, and idly Riku wondered if it was normal for the Eternal Kingdom's people to keep dungeons in their houses. One unlocked the door, and Riku was shoved in unceremoniously. "Nice," he mumbled.

He looked around; a familiar black-haired figure was slumped against the wall. "Bruixe!"

She looked up, and Riku noticed that her silver eyes were lined with red. "You okay?" he asked, kneeling next to her.

"Yeah," she whispered. "Well, sort of."

Riku slid an arm around her shoulders, drawing her close. "What's going on? Why are we here?"

"I asked to see you," Bruixe told him.

He raised an eyebrow. "And our, um, gracious host just let you do that?"

"She wants me to make Chasers for her," Bruixe said, cutting straight to the chase.

Riku blinked, caught by surprise. "And you said 'no way in hell,' right?"

Bruixe shook her head.

"You should have," Riku told her. "Would've wiped the smile right off her face."

"I have to," Bruixe whispered. She blinked furiously. She would not cry again, would not give Isalena the satisfaction of seeing her break down.

"Why?" Riku demanded.

She bit her lip.

"That bad, huh?" he remarked.

"She's going to kill you," Bruixe whispered at long last. "And Kairi, and Sora, and Ren. If I don't do what she wants."

Riku didn't reply to that. _Can't blame him,_ she thought. _How is someone supposed to react to being given a death sentence?_

"You can't," Riku said finally. "No way. If you do… hundreds of people are going to die."

"I know, but…" Bruixe began.

"No buts," he said firmly. "I mean… four lives versus hundreds."

"No!" she replied frantically. "No, no, I can't –"

"Has to be," he told her calmly, as if they were talking about the weather and not his own death. "We're not worth it, Bruixe. It's the right thing to do."

"I know that," she wailed. "Don't you think I know that? I just… I can't… I can't lose you again. I thought I did once and it almost killed me. I…"

Riku pulled her into his arms, cradling her against his chest, and the tears spilled out despite Bruixe's best efforts. After a while, he said, "I'm not afraid to die, Bruixe."

"But… I'm not strong enough to let you," she admitted quietly.

"Don't be selfish," he said, but softly.

Her hands balled into fists, clutching at the fabric of his shirt. "I don't care if it's selfish," she wept angrily. "I – I never could protect anyone. I lost them – Axel and Demyx – I couldn't protect them, and now they're gone. And I'll gladly kill a thousand people before I lose you, too –"

"Don't say that," Riku said, lifting her face up to look him in the eye. "Don't ever say that. You're not a killer, Bruixe."

Bruixe shook her head and brought his face to hers, silencing him with a long, slow kiss, so that he wouldn't say what she knew was coming. _Don't be a killer for me,_ he'd tell her. But she'd already made up her mind.

He pulled her to one side, pressing her into the wall, and his lips were sad, but determined. Gentle hands slid up her back, cold against her suddenly overheated skin, and she pulled back enough to breathe correctly.

"You know, that's my vest," he said jokingly, but his eyes were tight, serious. Resigned.

She touched his face with a shaking hand, memorizing the rough, rugged feel of his jaw, his cheek, his lips. "This isn't goodbye," she told him. "I won't let this be goodbye."

"Bruixe," he whispered, and seemed to collapse, burying his face in her shoulder. "It has to be."

But the warmth of his body next to hers, his arms around her, had done nothing but strengthen her resolve.

"I love you," he said quietly.

"I love you, too," she told him. Although it wasn't the first time they'd spoken those words, she'd never realized how true it was.

She loved him. And she could never let him go.

The trip to the mountains passed in silence as Bruixe stared dully into space. She hardly noticed when they stopped once again at the ruins of her old house, or when the soldiers half-led, half-dragged her down to the Room of Awakening.

Isalena was there, sitting in the chair, a shadowy, ghost-like form floating before her. As if responding to the room, Fallen Angel sprang into her hand unbidden, and Bruixe looked at it idly.

"Welcome back," the Councilor greeted her, voice mocking. "Everything is ready. Are you prepared?"

Bruixe ignored her, Riku's voice echoing through her head. _Four lives versus hundreds. You're not a killer, Bruixe. Don't be selfish._

Why? Why had she gained a heart? Not to have it torn, shredded, shattered into a million tiny shards. Not for this.

Because she knew what the right decision was. But she also knew – knew in her heart, damn the thing to hell – that she could never, ever do it.

People were incredibly selfish creatures, she'd seen it before. But she'd never really applied that to herself. Some how she'd thought herself above all of that.

She'd never realized how wrong she was.

Because there really wasn't a choice, was there?

"I'm sorry," she whispered, and raised her blade.

* * *

**review please. mwahahaha.**


	11. The Mark of the Creator

You know what really sucks? When you're halfway done with a chapter and your goddamn computer freezes and you have to write the WHOLE FREAKING THING OVER AGAIN.

*pant, pant*

Grr. On another note, I got Re: Chain of Memories for Christmas (and it's AWESOME) and freaked out today because OMG! I got to fight Zexion! (in Riku's story.) It was pretty sweet, except he completely kicked my ass. Numerous times. He has this killer attack where he sucks all your cards away and you don't get them back for, like, eight reloads. Which means I had all of FOUR cards to fight with, and that epicly sucked.

FYI, I only got two reviews last chapter. Yes, I know it's only been a week, but come on, people. Kick it in gear.

Anyway, enough rambling. Remeber, I don't own any of these characters...

You know, come to think of it, I own a majority of these characters. Hm... I have a lot of OCs... But Square-Enix does in fact own Sora, Riku, Kairi, Terra, and I think Xehanort, although that might not be his name...

Enjoy.

* * *

_I'm doing the best that I could  
__Trying my best to be understood  
__Maybe I'm changing slowly  
__I'd get out turn around if only  
__I knew I was dead wrong all along  
__You said it for my sake  
__As if I would lose my way  
__When I was dead wrong all along_

-The Fray, "Dead Wrong"

* * *

Bruixe clapped her hands over her ears for what seemed like the thousandth time that day, wincing at the death scream of her latest mangled attempt at a Chaser. The thing writhed in agony before disintegrating into nothingness, leaving Bruixe alone in the Room of Awakening again.

Her muscles were trembling with exhaustion, sweat pouring down her face. She'd been at this all day, locked in this godforsaken room while Isalena and Rondot sat through Council meetings.

"Big things are happening, dear Bruixe," Isalena had told her. "As the people's savior, I must be present in Kingdom City when the official changes are made. But you don't need me here. You're quite capable of making Chasers on your own, aren't you?"

Bruixe had simply gazed at her with dull eyes as the Councilor's men locked her in the Room of Awakening.

The ultimatum had been short and to the point: she was to have at least one Chaser successfully created by the time Isalena returned that evening.

Bruixe had thought it would be simple. Summon a ghost, whip out Fallen Angel, cut the cord. If only it were really that easy.

She had no idea why, but every Chaser she tried to create thrashed around the room, screeching, only to die seconds later.

"This is impossible," she wailed to no one, collapsing to her knees. "How the hell did my father do this?"

Of course, there was one way she could find out how to make Chasers, as a little nagging voice in the back of her head constantly reminded her. And she was the only one with access to that information. She'd been putting it off as long as she possibly could, determined not to use his help.

She'd remembered it hours ago. It had been something Riku had said to her, when he told her how he'd overcome Xehanort's Heartless in Castle Oblivion.

"_I could still smell him, even after I'd beaten him," Riku told her. "Maybe because he had been so much a part of me… or maybe it's not as easy as I'd thought, killing something inside yourself."_

_Bruixe frowned. "Does that mean Xehanort – Xehanort the Cruel, I mean – does that mean he's still inside me?"_

"_Who knows?" Riku answered. "Even if he is… you won't let him control you."_

"_Never," Bruixe agreed._

Bruixe snorted to herself. _Famous last words,_ she thought bitterly.

"Xehanort," she whispered.

_Only ask, and I am here,_ his voice said smugly in the back of her head.

She resisted the urge to claw at her temples, though his voice sent shivers down her spine. _I'm in control here,_ she told herself.

_Of course you are,_ he agreed. Mocking.

"Just tell me how to make the goddamn Chasers," she spat.

Xehanort seemed to chuckle. _You went through all that to destroy me, and now you want to continue the very work I began?_

"Shut up," she muttered.

_It must be a soul of great strength, _he told her. _I understand the process of being separated from one's realm is very painful. Not that I would know personally, of course. But only the very strongest of souls can survive the trauma._

"And how the hell am I supposed to find the strong ones?" she demanded.

_Sit,_ he ordered.

As much as she hated to obey, Bruixe knew she wouldn't get anywhere arguing with the remnant of her father. She pushed herself off the floor, ignoring the protest of her weary muscles, and into the single sculpted chair.

_Close your eyes._

She did, and suddenly she was very aware of the warmth the chair was giving off, and the rough texture of the arms under her palms. There was a large, smooth patch near her right hand, and instinctively she spread her fingers flat over the surface.

_Very good. Until now, you have been calling these souls through magic, yes? The magic of my Keyblade._

"My Keyblade," Bruixe corrected irritably. "It's mine."

_If you prefer, _Xehanort said. _Fallen Angel's method is… imprecise, at best. A single ghost drawn at random from the billions of souls in the realm of the dead. The odds of awakening a soul strong enough for a Chaser are nearly impossible. However, the magic of the room is more accurate. Focus your thoughts on the surface under your hand. Will the room to summon a strong soul for you… and watch what happens. _

Feeling slightly foolish, she did as he said, thinking, _I need a stronger soul. Just give me a strong one… just one…_

The room hummed to life as it normally did, but this time Bruixe could feel the power emanating from it. She opened her eyes. The soul looked just like the others – a seemingly normal human, but with grayish, translucent skin and the sense that it might blow away like dust in the wind.

_I should warn you, creating a true Chaser is painful,_ her father's voice echoed. _As if a part of yourself is being torn away._

"Go away," she told him, and Xehanort fell silent, dormant once more.

She lifted Fallen Angel once more, despite the protests of her weary muscles, and drew it forward until she felt the familiar catch – as if her blade had slid into a niche in an invisible wall. Bracing herself, she jerked it down, slicing cleanly through the link that connected the soul to its realm.

Instead of screaming in agony as the others had, this soul fixed its mournful eyes on her and asked, "Why?" before glowing as brightly as a sun, so bright that she had to turn her eyes away.

Then the pain Xehanort had warned her of struck, and she gasped involuntarily, doubling over. It was like claws had torn into her heart, squeezing, once, twice, three times before disappearing, leaving her panting on the cold floor. She looked up and flinched.

It was a Chaser, all right – but Bruixe had never seen one so calm. It stood loosely on two feet, barely moving, as if waiting for something – waiting for an order.

She tightened her grip on Fallen Angel, but she knew it wasn't necessarily. It would follow the commands of its creator, just as the old ones had followed Xehanort's commands.

A flaw in Isalena's perfect plan occurred to her, and she wondered if Isalena was going to blackmail her into commanding her troops as well as creating them. _Or maybe she'll just kill me herself, and let them destroy whoever they want, _she thought grimly.

She turned to the Chaser. "Um…" she began. "Well, just go to the realm of nothingness and wait, I guess," she told it.

Without any indication that it heard her, the Chaser vanished, and she hoped it was doing as she said and not preying on some helpless person.

She'd done it – she'd created a Chaser. And for some reason, she couldn't decide whether it was a good or a bad thing.

* * *

The soldiers let her out of the Room of Awakening after that, but they didn't return to Isalena's manor. Instead, she was shown to section of the house that had been repaired.

At first she'd been surprised that they hadn't even posted a guard at her door. But then again, if she tried to escape, she'd endanger her friends. Not an option.

It was strange being back in her old room – she felt like a child again. It was just like she remembered it: purple and blue walls; white, old-fashioned furniture; a bed that was entirely too small for the tall, lean teenager she'd grown into in the last eleven years. She shook her head as she thought of that time, back when she didn't know her father for the monster he was.

_Monster,_ Xehanort scoffed. _You let feelings cloud your judgment. My ideas could have brought peace to the worlds. Eternal peace._

Bruixe didn't have the energy to argue with him anymore. _Shut up,_ she told him simply, and flopped onto her bed.

But sleep refused to come to her, and she sat up angrily, glaring at the mirror as if she could will herself away from this place.

Something about her reflection caught her attention, and her breath caught. The usual silver of her eyes had taken on a yellowy sheen – not as if she were sick, but a glowing, unearthly yellow.

_The mark of the creator,_ Xehanort observed. _That isn't so bad, not yet. If you'll remember, mine were far more changed. Yours will become more yellow as you create more Chasers. _

Bruixe grabbed the nearest item – a pitcher of water that the soldiers had oh-so-thoughtfully left for her – and threw it with all her strength at the mirror, shattering the glass and sending shards and water everywhere.

_Temper,_ Xehanort chided.

_SHUT UP!_ Bruixe roared, forcing him into submission and silence.

She glared one last time at the ruined mirror, then buried her hideous eyes in her pillow and cried.

* * *

**review please. or else.**


	12. A Ray of Hope

Sorry this took so long, guys, I've been ridiculously uninspired lately. Then my friend Hanna (yes, I named the character after her, and Ren is for my friend Lauren. Incidentally, the Councilors Rondot and Nester are named after two of my friends, also.) Hanna pointed out that my characters were stuck in a perpetual state of suffering because I never progressed the story.

Oops.

Oh, yeah… one of my reviewers asked, "Why don't they all just warp out of the manor with the dark portals thingy?" Answer: if you remember, Riku can't do the portal thingy anymore, and Sora, Kairi, and Ren never could. Bruixe can't because Isalena has these blocker-spells that prevent anyone from portaling in or out. Kind of like Disney Castle, yeah? Except minus the whole Cornerstone-of-Light thing.

Heh-heh… anyway, this chapter takes place at the same time the last chapter did… just from a different POV. Enjoy.

* * *

_I've gone for too long living like I'm not alive  
__So I'm gonna start over tonight  
__Beginning with you and I  
__Don't want to run from anything uncomfortable  
__I just want, no  
__I just need this pain to end right here  
__I'm not going  
_'_Cause I've been waiting for a miracle and I'm not leaving  
__I won't let you  
__Let you give up on a miracle  
__When it might save you_

_- _Paramore, "Miracle"

* * *

"AAAAAAAAGH!" Riku yelled, slamming both fists against the door in frustration.

"Did she dump you?" Sora asked sympathetically.

Riku glared at him. "No." He slid to the floor, running both hands through his silver hair. "It's worse."

"She told you she never wanted to see you again," his friend predicted.

"Would you stop with the lame break-up jokes?" Riku shouted, exasperated. "Isalena's forcing Bruixe to make Chasers. She's gonna destroy the Council, take over the city. That's why she killed Danthus - to lure Bruixe here. Because apparently since Bruixe's Keyblade made the Chasers once upon a time, Bruixe is the only one that can do it."

Sora frowned. "So you told Bruixe not to do it. Duh."

"Of course I did," Riku groaned. "But it gets worse. Isalena's saying if Bruixe doesn't make her an army… she's gonna kill us."

"Us?" Sora repeated.

"And Kairi, and that Ren girl."

Sora thought about this for a moment, calmer than one might expect of someone who had just been delivered a death sentence. "Wow," he said finally.

"Yeah, 'wow'," Riku muttered.

"What… what's she gonna do?" Sora asked uncertainly.

"I told her not to listen," the older boy said. "What else was I supposed to do? No way can she make a freakin' army of Chasers. Not when we spent last summer cleaning up the first Chaser mess. And with us locked up here, who do you think is gonna help them this time?"

Sora grimaced.

"Yeah," Riku said. "Of course, according to Bruixe, Isalena's gonna call them 'Wardens' instead of Chasers. And they'll be strictly controlled this time. Kingdom City won't even know what hits them."

"So she's not going to do it," Sora said.

Riku shook his head miserably. "She didn't listen to me. You know how she is. Bruixe… she would never put her friends in danger. No matter what. And... she could never willingly let us die, not as long as there was the slightest chance to save us. She... she thinks if she can just buy enough time, she can get us out of here. But... that's not going to happen."

There was silence in the cell as both friends considered that.

Sora opened his mouth to say something, but suddenly there was a frantic pounding on the door.

Both boys jumped to their feet as the door banged open, but neither was expecting to see who was outside.

"There you are," said a tall man with shaggy brown hair.

"Terra?" Riku managed. "What are you doing here?"

"Attempting to rescue you," Terra said wryly. "And Bruixe, I suppose. Where is she?"

Sora snickered under his breath. "And you said getting out of here wasn't going to happen."

Riku blinked as if trying to reassure himself that Terra was actually there, and not a figment of his imagination. For the first time since running into Rondot's soldiers outside the manor, he could see a tiny ray of hope. "I… I don't know. Another cell. Kairi and Ren are here, too."

"Well, then, we had better find them," the Liberator pointed out, and jogged down the hallway to the next cell.

"Hey, wait up!" Sora exclaimed, and both friends followed him out to start checking the other cells for their friends.

Riku opened one door to find a figure slumped against the wall, shackled at both wrists. A woman – but not one he recognized. Her dirty blonde hair hung in tangles around her unconscious face, and she was positively tiny – even smaller than Kairi. Despite that, Riku guessed that she was older than him, maybe around Terra's age.

"Over here," he called to Terra and Sora, and went in to undo the woman's shackles.

She stirred, brown eyes barely cracking open. "Who…" she began, and Riku silenced her.

"My name's Riku," he said. "I'm gonna get you out of here."

Terra looked into the cell and did a double take. "Hanna?" he whispered.

The woman's eyes grew suddenly sharp and focused as she recognized the Liberator. "Sir!" she croaked.

"Who?" Sora asked as Terra reached down to pick Hanna up as if she was no more than a doll. Which, Riku had to admit, she wasn't. It was clear imprisonment hadn't been kind to her – her arms were thin and emaciated, her face drawn.

"Lieutenant Hanna," Terra told them. "Ren's older sister. She was with Danthus and his patrol."

"Danthus…" Hanna croaked mournfully. "He… he's…"

"We know," Riku said grimly. "Believe me."

It was Sora who found Kairi and Ren, a few cells down from Hanna's. Both girls looked up, two pairs of wide, disbelieving eyes, blue and green.

"We're getting out of here," Sora said. "C'mon."

They stood, and it was then that Ren spotted her sister cradled in Terra's arms. "Hanna!" she cried, lunging forward to clutch the older girl's hand.

"Ren…?" Hanna managed, and Ren burst into tears.

"You're alive," she whimpered. "I thought… I thought…"

"Touching, but we're on a schedule here, people," Riku reminded them. "We gotta find Bruixe."

With five of them searching, they easily covered all the cells, but Bruixe was nowhere to be found.

"She's not here," Sora said somewhat unnecessarily.

"She has to be here!" Riku roared in frustration. "Where else could she be?"

"The mountain house, perhaps?" Terra mused. "The scouts reported seeing Rondot's men at Xehanort the Cruel's old mansion. It's possible she's being held there… although I can't imagine why…"

"Why doesn't matter," Riku said forcefully. "If she's there, I'm going after her."

"I think there's the small problem of us getting out of here," Sora pointed out. "I mean, come on, we can't go off rescuing anyone if we can't get out of this godforsaken manor."

"It may be easier than you think," Terra told him. "Lady Isalena is not here."

"Where is she?" Kairi wanted to know.

"There is a Council meeting in the city today," Terra said. "She's likely already there, and so is Rondot. It's why I chose today to come."

Terra's words proved true, and Riku and Sora only had to take out a few guards before the group reached the exit to the manor, where Terra had left chocobos.

Sora's jaw fell open, then he yelled, "Heartless!" and lunged for one of the animals, Keyblade drawn.

"Hey!" Terra moved to block him with an arm, shifting Hanna's weight to the other. "Those aren't Heartless. They're chocobos."

"What's a chocobo?" Sora asked, confused.

Terra pointed to the giant bird. "That is a chocobo."

"They're so cute," Ren said unexpectedly, tottering forward to hug one around its feathery neck.

A second waddled forward to nestle its beak into Riku's long hair. "Hey, watch it," he said gently, pushing the animal away.

"I only brought four," he said apologetically, swinging Hanna up onto one and helping Ren up behind her. Sora and Kairi mounted another, and Riku took the third.

He looked from Terra to Sora and back to Terra again. "It's just us this time, isn't it?" he asked the Liberator.

Terra nodded, looking to Sora. "You had better get these three to the city," he told the younger boy, meaning the three girls.

Sora's jaw fell open. "No way. You're not leaving me out of this one! Come on!"

"Yeah, we want to help," Ren said, and Kairi nodded her agreement.

Terra turned his gaze upon Ren. "You and your sister have done more than enough," he said. "Let us handle the rest."

"Yeah, and they'll need you if they run into any of Rondot's or Isalena's men," Riku told Sora.

"I'll come back and help if I can," he promised.

Riku shook his head. "No. If… if something happens to us, you guys have got to spread the word. Tell the whole city – everyone you can, anyone who'll listen. Isalena's lying to them all. You got that?"

Sora looked as if he were about to argue, then thought better of it. "Fine," he said stubbornly. "But you had better come back this time."

Riku grinned wryly. "I think I can handle that."

Terra saluted the four, then turned to Riku. "Come on."

Riku kicked his chocobo after him and was amazed at how gracefully the ungainly-looking bird loped across the sand. "You up for this?" he asked Terra.

The Liberator's face was a confident smirk. "Let's go teach some soldiers a lesson in humility."

"Now you're talking," Riku said, and together they charged to Bruixe's rescue.

* * *

**review. please.**

**see? i asked nicely.**


	13. Gone

This chapter was a lot easier to write because I've been planning it for a long time… and to everyone who I'm going to upset in this chapter, I apologize in advance.

Once again, I don't own any of these characters, despite the fact that I put them through countless hardships and trauma… I'm sorry… *cries*

Incidentally, this is chapter 13... unlucky. How appropriate.

Sigh… brace yourselves, people, and enjoy… if you can…

* * *

_Don't know what's going on  
__Don't know what went wrong  
__Feels like a hundred years, I  
__Still can't believe you're gone  
__So I'll stay up all night  
__With these bloodshot eyes  
__While all these walls surround me  
__With the story of our life  
- _Three Days' Grace, "Gone Forever"

* * *

Riku slid off his chocobo and knelt to the ground, keeping low to avoid attracting the attention of the wide circle of guards around the mountain house.

It was cold here, a dramatically different climate than the desert. White flakes drifted down from the sky – snow, Riku knew, but it didn't snow in the islands where he grew up. The only time he'd ever seen snow – before now, anyway – was in the Land of Dragons, where he had warned the emperor of the dragon Heartless. And even then, he remembered, he'd had a heavy cloak.

He shivered in his sleeveless jacket, wishing he had that cloak now. Even another sleeveless layer would have been welcome – except Bruixe was still wearing his favorite vest, so he'd had to make do with a simple black undershirt instead of the thick leather.

"Have they moved?" Terra asked, returning from a scout around the mansion.

Riku shook his head. "They look bored to death. We could probably take them if we surprise them," he whispered back.

"Not likely," Terra said. "There are more guards around the back, and I spotted more moving inside the house. If they're warned, we might end up fighting them all at once, and they'd crush us by sheer force of numbers."

"But you're sure Isalena isn't here?" Riku asked.

"Positive," Terra confirmed.

Riku looked at his hands. "What if we didn't fight them, just… snuck in?"

"And just how are you planning to do that?" Terra wanted to know.

"Once upon a time, I could've used the darkness," Riku said wistfully. "Not an option now. But I mean… there has to be some way to take them out quietly, so the others aren't warned. If we can take them in small groups – four or five at a time…"

Terra considered that. "I see… nine here, a little more than I'd like to try, and… I don't know how many are inside."

"How many in back?"

"Six around the back entrance," Terra said, "which shouldn't be a problem… but there are more windows in the back. Which means we're more likely to be spotted from inside."

"Not if we wait till dark," Riku realized. "There are lights inside, right? And if you're on the side of a window that's lit up, you can't see through to the other side – all you see is a reflection."

"If we wait too long, Isalena will come back, and we'll be sunk," Terra pointed out.

"We don't have to wait forever," the younger man said. "Just until the sun drops below the trees, and there are shadows on the back of the house."

Terra frowned.

"You have a better idea?" Riku asked, exasperated.

"No," the Liberator admitted. "It just… makes me nervous."

"You and me both, man," Riku agreed.

* * *

Bruixe lay on the too-small bed, twirling Fallen Angel around in her hands, following the pattern of silver vines along the handle. _Quite pretty for something that makes monsters,_ she thought.

Idly she tossed it up into the air and caught it again, wondering what would happen if she didn't catch it – if she just let it fall and pierce her shattered heart. Would she become a Nobody again? Or would she fade away, having blown her second chance at being whole?

The sun was setting outside, and she rolled over to stare out the window. Her reflection greeted her – yellow eyes taking her by surprise again. She wished she could break the window, too, but it was cold outside. And not seeing her awful eyes wouldn't make them go away.

Had this been how Riku felt? She remembered him telling her that in the beginning, before he became Ansem completely, he had used the blindfold to stay in his own form. Every time he took it off, he looked like Ansem – until he was forced to embrace Ansem's form completely, when he fought Roxas.

_My eyes couldn't lie,_ he'd said. Neither could hers, anymore.

Bruixe sat up and took a corner of the black sheet into her hands, tearing a strip away until she was holding a makeshift blindfold, and bound it around her head. The fabric was thin enough that she could see through it, but when she turned back to the window, her eyes were completely hidden.

She smirked at her reflection. _What now?_ she thought. _You can't hurt me anymore._

A flicker of movement outside caught her eye, and she pressed her face against the glass, trying to see past the glare. Below, she could see the front of the mansion, and a figure walking towards the door, clad in a silvery grey gown.

"Great," Bruixe muttered to herself. "Mother Bitch is home."

* * *

"Great plan," Terra remarked sarcastically, rubbing the side of his face where he'd taken a hit from one of the guards.

"Hey, it worked, didn't it?" Riku answered, exhilarated. "Now all we have to do is find Bruixe."

"You're awfully optimistic for someone facing impossible odds," Terra said.

Riku laughed, the adrenaline rush charging him with energy. "Impossible? Heck, until a few hours ago I was pretty sure busting out of the manor was impossible… but here we are, right?"

He pushed open the back door to the mansion, slipped inside, and stopped dead in his tracks.

"Well, well, well," Isalena remarked. "What have we here?"

"I thought you said she wouldn't be here," Riku hissed.

"I thought I told you, we shouldn't wait too long," Terra retorted.

The Councilor wore a polite smile on her face, but her eyes were steely and cold. "Why, Terra! What an unexpected surprise. Pray tell, what brings you here at this hour?"

"I know about Danthus," Terra spat.

Isalena sighed theatrically. "A pity, isn't it? I was saddened that he had to die… but sometimes, in the course of events, sacrifices must be made for the greater good."

Terra shook with anger, and Riku put a hand on the bigger man's shoulder. "We can't fight her," he warned. "We don't know what she's capable of – she beat Danthus…"

* * *

Bruixe heard the door open, and soon after, snatches of conversation. She tried to catch all of it, but she was too far away. Opening the door, she was able to make it all out.

"The greater good?" an incredulous voice asked, and she recognized it immediately as Terra. Terra was here! So he'd gotten her cryptic warning after all.

"Easy," warned another voice, and for a second Bruixe swore her heart stopped in disbelief. Because Riku couldn't be here – it was impossible.

She crept forward, peering between the railing over the stairs, and sure enough, there were Riku and Terra, facing Isalena across the central hall.

"Of course," Isalena said. "Danthus was my dear friend and colleague. He needn't have died. But he had to go sticking his nose in business that was not his own. Much like two young men I know."

_RUN!_ Bruixe wanted to scream.

"This ends here," Terra threatened.

Isalena just smiled. "I think not."

Riku tried to restrain him, but was too late – Terra closed the distance to the Councilor in a single stride, whipping his greatsword through the air as easily as a feather.

But fast as he was, Isalena was faster, and sidestepped gracefully, drawing her own weapon – a thin, rapier-like sword with an oddly-shaped blade.

_Keyblade,_ Bruixe realized. _Isalena – Isalena's a Keybearer?!_

Riku was right behind Terra, lunging forward with an attack of his own, and Isalena parried easily, flicking Soul Eater away as if it were no more than an annoying bug.

Bruixe sprang into action, sprinting for the stairs, but was held up by three soldiers. "Kiss my ass," she snarled, not even hesitating.

Below, Riku and Terra were struggling, too slow to keep up with Isalena's quick, graceful movements. _How can she be this good?_ Riku wondered desperately. _Who the hell __is__ this woman?_

His limbs seemed to drag, and his sword arm was bleeding where Isalena had sliced him, but he refused to let it soften his grip on Soul Eater. Beside him, Terra was on the defensive, unable to get an attack in past Isalena's infallible guard.

As Isalena thrust at Terra's head, Riku closed in for a finishing strike, but Isalena was too fast again, twisting her arm up to ram the hilt of her Keyblade into Riku's abdomen. The breath rushed out of his lungs as he fell, Soul Eater skittering across the floor.

Isalena took a single step, then another, forcing Terra backwards, towards the door they had come through. "Had enough, Liberator?" she asked lightly, no more out of breath than she had been when she first drew her blade.

Bruixe dispatched the last guard and sprinted for the dueling pair, but she wasn't fast enough. With no more than a flick of her Keyblade, Isalena sent Terra's greatsword flying across the room. She lunged forward, snarling, and stabbed the Liberator through the heart.

A strangled cry escaped Bruixe's lips, and she threw herself at the Councilor's unprotected back, but Isalena simply turned and blocked the attack, slicing Bruixe from elbow to wrist. Fallen Angel fell from her grasp, and Isalena shoved her, sending Bruixe tumbling backwards on the floor.

Bruixe didn't even try to get up, utterly spent. Beside her, Riku was doubled over, coughing blood, and beyond him, Terra's motionless form lay facedown, staining the surrounding tile with dark blood.

"If this is all that the new generation of Keybearers is capable of," Isalena said contemptuously, "then I mourn for the fate of the worlds. It is no wonder Heartless roam freely, when such children are all that stand against them."

She looked down at Terra's corpse as if with pity. "And to think this man once defeated the mighty Xehanort."

_Gone, gone, gone,_ Bruixe thought, clutching her mangled forearm. She would not believe it, could not – because Terra could not be dead, it was impossible – he was the strongest person she knew, and he was – or had been – the only friend she'd had, after her father betrayed the city.

_Gone,_ she mourned, and she was glad that she was safe behind her blindfold, so that Isalena wouldn't see the rush of tears she wept for the man who had once been her friend.

"It seems we are in need of some new accommodations," Isalena said coldly, and walked away.

* * *

**sniff… sniff…**

**review… waaaaaahhhh…**


	14. Who Can Feel Like a Hero?

A little hint for this chapter:

Sekhmet is the Egyptian goddess of the sun. She's the more violent version of Hathor, goddess of motherhood and love. Sekhmet was sent by Ra to destroy mankind and drink their blood. Creepy, no?

Also, most of this chapter was inspired by a scene from _Inkdeath,_by Cornelia Funke. If you haven't read the Inkheart trilogy, GO READ IT NOW. Those books are amazing.

Oh, and Lauren, sorry about the water thing. …grins sheepishly…

* * *

_Not knowing how to think  
__I scream aloud, begin to sink  
__My legs and arms are broken down  
__With envy for the solid ground  
_- Blue October, "Into the Ocean"

* * *

It was like every nerve ending in Bruixe's body had gone dead, like she was frozen in time and everything else was moving around her, but she could react to none of it. Dimly she was aware that she was being dragged back to her room, her mangled forearm bandaged, the door slammed shut and locked this time.

Looking at the wound, she was sure it was supposed to hurt – people could die from injuries this bad, from blood loss, but that would be too easy. In a way she would have welcomed the pain – anything to break her out of this horrible emptiness inside her.

Terra was gone. Terra was dead, and it was her fault.

What she wouldn't give to be a Nobody again, to not be able to feel this horrible, heart-wrenching sorrow.

_There is a way,_Xehanort reminded her. _An escape from your suffering._

_I won't let you in,_Bruixe thought raggedly. _Don't even think about it._

It felt like days before her door opened again, but the moon was only just beginning to reach its peak in the sky – it couldn't have been more than six hours.

"Time to go," Isalena said. "Come, show me what you have accomplished."

Bruixe only glared at the Councilor, then remembered that Isalena couldn't see her eyes anyway.

"Come," Isalena ordered again.

Finally Bruixe found her voice. "No," she whispered. Then, stronger, "No more."

Isalena's eyes were like ice, cold and unfeeling, all traces of false charm gone. "Don't be foolish," she warned.

"I won't do this!" Bruixe screamed, jumping to her feet, hands balled into fists, her wounded arm protesting. "Enough of your damn games! I won't do it – I won't let you hurt more people! Go on, kill me, I don't care!"

"Have you forgotten our deal?" Isalena reminded her. "Your life isn't the only one at stake here."

"So what?" Bruixe screeched, lunging at the Councilor with no thought of her own safety.

Isalena's hand closed around Bruixe's bandaged arm, fingernails digging in like claws, and twisted; Bruixe fell to her knees, gasping.

"You have no power here," Isalena hissed.

Bruixe's good hand scrabbled around for a weapon, anything, and came up lucky – a shard of mirror the length of her middle finger.

"You belong to me," the Councilor continued. "I give the orders, and you follow them."

She flung the shard with all her might; if she'd been throwing with her right, it would have undoubtedly killed the woman. Left-handed, however, it missed her throat by a hair, slicing through the flesh along the side of her jaw.

The retaliation was swift; Isalena jerked Bruixe into a standing position and slapped her across the face.

"So be it," she said darkly, dragging Bruixe out of the room.

"Bring me the boy," she ordered one of the guards.

_Riku, I'm sorry._ The words were like a mantra. _I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry._

"_I'm not afraid to die, Bruixe."_

They would die together, then. At least… at least she could do that much. But Sora and Kairi and Ren... would they die, too?

If only she'd been able to kill Isalena…

_I still can,_ she thought determinedly.

Isalena threw her to her knees in the front hall, and a ring of soldiers formed around them. From another side of the circle, someone shoved Riku in; his jacket was unzipped over his chest, bandages tightly bound around his lower ribs. Were they broken? Did it matter?

"Bruixe?" he whispered. "What…"

"It's… it's time," she said brokenly.

By the sudden, blank look on his face, she knew he understood; his expression settled into grim acceptance.

"The others are safe," he told her. "Terra… Terra got them out. And Ren's sister is with them."

Bruixe nodded. At least someone would know what had happened. At least they would be able to warn someone, if Bruixe failed here.

She held out her hand for Fallen Angel, but her wounded arm wouldn't grip, wouldn't hold it; the muscle was too severely damaged. It clattered to the floor, and before she could reach for it with her left, Isalena kicked it away and seized the good arm, beckoning two guards forward. They moved to take her from Isalena, twisting one arm behind her back and forcing her to her knees.

Riku watched Isalena warily, but seemed to know he couldn't fight alone – she'd already beaten him once, and now he was injured.

Isalena turned to Bruixe, steely eyes glittering. "I believe I told you the consequences if you were to refuse my terms," she said frostily. "The death of your little boy-toy here. However, I seem to have neglected the circumstances of that death."

The rapier-like Keyblade appeared in her hand, and she raised it in front of her, studying it. The blade reminded Bruixe of a lotus flower, with wide, teardrop-shaped petals; the handle was etched with circles and lines, like the rays of the sun.

"Sekhmet and I have been through a lot together," Isalena said softly. "Since the very beginning of the Keyblade Wars, she has been my partner. Of course, I didn't know what she was capable of, then.

"Sekhmet, the Divine Punisher," she whispered softly. "She unlocks a person's fear – their greatest fear. And she makes it reality."

Isalena lowered the tip of the blade until it rested against Bruixe's forehead. She didn't move, watching Isalena with a level gaze, refusing to show fear.

"What do you fear, little heroine?" the Councilor whispered.

Trying not to think about her fears made her think about them, of course.

_She was fifteen years old, and her hair had been short, then, only to her chin. Sometimes she looked like a boy, if she wore the right kind of clothing, and that was useful, because the Temple guards weren't looking for a little boy. They were looking for Rubesia, their little runaway. But even when they found her, she always ran again – and she had help._

"_Are you mad?" Terra muttered as he hastily guided her out of the Temple. "If you keep stealing, they'll keep catching you. And even Councilor Garrison's patience is bound to break sometime."_

"_I'm not afraid of him," Rubie muttered._

"_I know," Terra replied, giving a wry smile. "Tell me, Changeling, is there anything you __are__ afraid of?"_

_Rubie thought about it, and answered honestly. "Small places. There's nowhere to run. And… and water."_

_Terra shook his head. "Water? Really?"_

"_Not all water," she admitted._

"_Drowning, then?" Terra asked._

_Rubie shrugged, trying to sound casual. "I guess."_

As if she could hear the words in Bruixe's head, Isalena chuckled. "Water it is."

At the same moment Bruixe felt the water rising up her legs as if it the darkness inside her had taken form, cold and creeping. Panic filled her veins, but she forced herself to be still, to show nothing.

_It's not real, _she told herself. _It's not real._

"You know," Isalena said conversationally, "I've seen this at work many times, but it's always different. Well, the method is always different. In the end, everyone is the same. Even the strongest of hearts – well, who can feel like a hero when they tremble with fright and know it comes from themselves?"

Bruixe felt what Isalena was describing even as the older woman spoke. Her eyes must be lying to her – because she couldn't be alone, in this room, for where could the guards have gone? And Riku… Riku, where was he…

The arms of the guards that had held her were now iron fetters, chaining her to a cold stone wall. _Not real. This isn't real._

It was suddenly dark, and the once-wide space of the hall seemed to have collapsed in on itself, and the walls were close, so close, and she thought that if she screamed it would echo around for an eternity, with no one to hear it, no one but Isalena. But she would not scream. She must not…

"What do you say, Bruixe, dear?" Isalena asked. "How does it feel to doubt your own sanity?"

Isalena's voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere as the water rose to Bruixe's neck. She tried to kick, to push herself upwards and tread water, but something – _it's not real_ – something was pulling her downwards.

"Yes, if you want to break a heroine, this is the way," the Councilor went on. "Let her lose herself, let her howl like a mad dog, let her trap herself in her own fear. Let loose those terrors which can kill so effectively from the inside."

The water crept up her face, and Bruixe thrashed futilely against her bonds, struggling to get at least her nose above the surface, anything.

Images floated past her, as if reflected in the watery depths. She saw Rondot dragging Ren out of a building by her hair, saw Sora fighting valiantly to protect Kairi, blood dripping down the sides of his face… and Riku, still-faced, his skin pale as ice, his blue-green eyes staring at nothing, nothing at all.

Pain shot through her as her breath finally failed, and water clogged her throat, her lungs. She struggled for air, but there was none, and there was nothing but blue, cold and unfeeling –

"Well?" Isalena demanded. "Do we remember our place, now?"

_Yes!_ she tried to scream,

And then she fell forward, no longer supported, a firm, hard surface under her, and she shivered as if with fever – or was it from the cold?

She choked, air filling her lungs, and retched, but her skin was strangely dry – and then she remembered that it was all in her head, a trick, an illusion of Isalena's. But the pain was real.

"Take her downstairs," Isalena said coldly.

She was vaguely aware of a struggle, and a furious voice. "What did you do to her?!"

Riku. Of course. He was here – it was just an illusion. Not real. But she shuddered uncontrollably at the memory of that still face, those eyes that would never see.

Guards seized her, forced her to her feet. And then, when she couldn't stand on her own, rough hands dragged her, across the hall and down a stairwell, into her own personal hell – the Room of Awakening.

The door slammed, and she was alone – or at least, alone in the room.

_Fear is powerful,_Xehanort observed.

Bruixe clapped her hands over her ears, still shaking. _Get out of my head,_ she thought weakly. _Get out._

For seventeen years, her mind had been her only sanctuary, the one place where no one could touch her. She felt sick, broken.

"Who can feel like a hero when they tremble with fright and know it comes from themselves?" Isalena had said.

It was true, Bruixe didn't feel like a hero. She felt like a terrified little girl.

_I know who I am,_ she thought, but for the first time, she wondered if it was true.


	15. Not Alone

Surprisingly enough, this chapter is taking a lighter tone. Wooo!

FYI, there's a little insider in this chapter. Did you know, if you color a lot, you can get hand cancer? Lol. Some people (cough cough Lauren) are so gullible…

I won't bother with disclaimers, you guys know the drill. Enjoy.

* * *

_Looking back at me I see that I never really got it right  
__I never stopped to think of you  
__I'm always wrapped up in things I cannot win  
__You are the antidote that gets me by  
__Something strong like a drug that gets me high  
__What I really meant to say  
__Is I'm sorry for the way I am  
__I never meant to be so cold  
-_Crossfade, "Cold"

* * *

"Stop it," Bruixe muttered.

Her hands were shaking so badly that she could barely grip Fallen Angel – and it didn't help that she had to hold it in her left hand. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get the fingers of her right to close. She wondered if she'd ever be able to use it again, if it would really heal.

Bruixe threw her Keyblade across the Room of Awakening and buried her head in her arms. "Stop it," she told herself firmly. "You've been through worse than this. Get a grip."

Had she, though? Three years ago, she had been convinced that Velkin's torture would be the worst pain she'd ever feel in her life. Now, though, she would take it a thousand times over, if it would just get these images out of her head. Sora. Kairi. Ren.

Riku.

"Stop it," she moaned again. "Focus. Chasers."

_It's no use._

She wished she could see Riku, talk to him, reassure herself that he was fine. Anything – even the slightest snatch of conversation – anything would be better than this loneliness. Alone in her prison of strange walls and lost souls.

A thought occurred to her.

_I can't talk to Riku… but I might be able to talk to someone else. But… who?_

After a moment of thought, she flattened her hands against the smooth panels of the chair and whispered, "Demyx?"

The room hummed to life, and for a moment she doubted herself. _He's a Nobody, Bruixe. He might not even be there…_

But when she looked up to the soul the room had delivered, it was that same familiar light brown hair, those same cheerful green eyes. His skin was grey and translucent, but it didn't matter, because Demyx was standing there in front of her.

He blinked in surprise. "Well, what do you know?"

Bruixe started to stand up but her legs wouldn't hold, and she tumbled to the floor. "Demyx, Demyx is here," she whispered, feeling a smile on her face for the first time in what seemed like an eternity.

"Easy!" he said, reaching down to help her up, but she knocked his arm away, and he sat on the floor instead. "Hey! I'm see-through!"

"It means you have hand cancer," Bruixe said.

"Aaaah!" Demyx yelled, shaking the hand in question as if trying to get something off of it.

Bruixe laughed out loud, surprised that she still could. "Demyx," she said happily.

He grinned back, looking comfortable in a baggy pair of jeans and a black T-Shirt with the word 'SKILLET' printed across it in olive-green letters, which weirded Bruixe out a little – she'd never seen him in anything besides his black Organization cloak.

"So, does this mean you're dead?" Demyx asked. "I mean, since we're talking and all. But you don't look dead. I guess."

"I'm not dead," she promised. "You're just… in the world of the living. For a while."

Demyx had the old clueless look on his face, and Bruixe launched into an entire recount of everything that had happened since she left the Organization – how Xaldin and Saix had ambushed her in the Castle That Never Was, how she'd only escaped death because of Sora and Riku's attack on the Organization, how she'd gone to Destiny Islands looking for Roxas and found three people that would become her best friends. She told him how she regained her heart – his smile looked like it was going to rip his face in two – and then, finally, what she was doing in the Eternal Kingdom, and why.

"That's terrible," he said finally, and Bruixe nodded quietly. He pointed at her arm. "Did Isalena do that to you, then?"

"Yeah," Bruixe nodded, and for a minute she remembered another bandaged arm, not her own, in a hidden cave so long ago, and the story that went along with it. She looked up, seeking Demyx's green eyes, and felt the words that had been held back for over a year spill out.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. Then, stronger, "I'm so sorry."

Demyx frowned in genuine confusion. "For what?"

A few tears leaked out from under her lids, and she brushed them away impatiently. "I… I came back for you – but you were gone. I was too late – I should have brought you with me, to start with – and then, you… you died because of me… it should have been me…"

Demyx just smiled, and reached out to ruffle her hair. A year ago, she would have punched him for it, but for now she didn't mind, because her best friend was here, with her, even if only for a little while.

"I missed you," Bruixe admitted.

"I missed you, too," Demyx said. "You know… I fought Sora. And I lost. Pretty badly."

Bruixe nodded. "He told me," she answered. "I… well, I'm not surprised. He's really strong."

"Stronger than Roxas," Demyx agreed. "But you know what I told him?"

Bruixe shook her head.

"Well, first he called me a kook," Demyx said, clearly offended. Bruixe laughed in spite of herself. "Then he was like, 'You don't have hearts! You're not sad about anything!' and the duck was all like, 'Yeah! You can't fool us!' And you know what I said? I said, 'We do too have hearts.'"

Bruixe frowned. "Demyx… you're not making any sense."

Demyx grinned. "Maybe not to you. No, listen – I meant it. Really. Because we were always looking for our hearts – except for you. I know you tried to keep it a secret, that you didn't want your heart back. But we knew. But the thing is – I kept thinking, all the time, that if any of us found our hearts, it would be you. Well, Roxas, too, I guess. Because you were so… different, from the rest of us."

She didn't know how to reply to that, and he continued, "Anyway, I guess… I guess I figured that I could at least give you a shot, right? I don't regret it – dying for you. Well, dying instead of you. Because you really did find your heart. I knew you would."

Bruixe smiled incredulously. "You always believed in me, didn't you, Waterboy?"

"Always," Demyx said proudly. "No regrets."

She patted his hand, oddly cool to the touch.

"What's with the blindfold?" Demyx wanted to know.

Bruixe shrugged. "It's just… well…" She took it off, reluctantly letting him see her mutated eyes.

"Creepy," he muttered, and she grimaced. "But you know, I think they were creepier silver."

"Gee, thanks," she said sarcastically.

"You're really afraid of water?" Demyx asked.

Bruixe ducked her head sheepishly. "Not water. Just drowning."

"Dang," he sighed. "I had power over you and I never knew it…"

"I would have killed you," she growled.

He grinned. "I know. So… are you gonna ask me or not?"

"Ask what?"

He raised an eyebrow knowingly, and she ducked her head. "Alright… well, is he there too?"

Demyx grinned broadly. "Of course! And he probably wants to see you, so hurry up and send me back."

Bruixe's face fell a little, but Demyx just smiled that same unfailing smile. "Hey, no worries," he said. "You'll get out of this, and then you can come visit me again. Right?"

"Right," she answered, as if saying it could make the words come true. "It's a promise."

"And promises are forever," Demyx said, nodding.

He stood up and pulled her to her feet, careful of her hurt arm. "Hey, you got taller," he complained, and with a pleased grin Bruixe realized it was true – she had him by barely a half-inch, but she was still taller.

"Well, you missed a lot," she told him.

He grinned. "See you around, Bruixe." Then he was gone, vanishing back into his own realm as if he had never been there, and only the strange coolness of her skin where she had patted his hand remained as proof, proof that she wasn't crazy, proof that she wasn't alone.

She sat back down in the chair, eager now that she knew it would work, and said, "Axel!"

And of course he came, red hair sticking up more than ever, a fiery mane around his head. Like Demyx, he looked more comfortable than he ever had, in jeans, a red undershirt, and a black zip-up jacket. "Bruixe!" he greeted her. "Long time no see!"

"Tell me about it," she said, crushing him into a hug, which he returned – and if he held her a little too tightly, well, she ignored that.

"What happened to your arm?" he demanded. "Did someone hurt you? I'll kill them!"

Bruixe sighed and launched into the whole story again, and when she was finished Axel shook his head.

"You always did bite off more than you could chew," he said in exasperation.

"You would know," she retorted. "Most of the time it was your fault."

"Got me there," Axel admitted.

She punched him lightly. "Yeah, and I go through all that trouble to bust you out of that castle – and from what I hear you went back?"

He scratched his head sheepishly, grinning. "Yeah, well, I wanted to see Roxas again. You can't blame me for that. But hey, they never caught me again. The only one who takes me out is me."

"Congratulations," she said sarcastically.

His green eyes grew sober. "You know, I thought you were dead," he said quietly. "You told me to stay put, and I – well, you remember that…"

Bruixe did, but didn't say anything.

"And then – I was right," Axel continued. "You never came back. I never saw you again… well, while I was alive, anyway – listen to me. Jeez. 'When I was alive.'"

"Definitely weird," Bruixe agreed.

"I wondered if they'd caught you and forced you to go to Hollow Bastion anyway," Axel went on. "I followed Saix there – but it wasn't you, it was Demyx. Which meant you hadn't gotten to him… I didn't see how you could have survived."

His voice grew quiet. "It was worse than losing Roxas, because I knew Roxas was still alive – even if he wasn't really Roxas anymore. But you… I kept thinking, _You're a Nobody, Axel, get a grip. You can't feel sad._ But somehow, I felt, I don't know, more empty than usual. I always said being around you and Roxas and Demyx made me… made me feel like I had a heart."

Axel grinned wryly. "I tried to warn Sora not to buy into their crap, not to kill anymore Heartless. But you know Roxas, he'd never listen, and Sora's just the same. Anyway, Saix showed up, but I managed to get away. I never figured he'd make it to the World That Never Was."

"Sora's strong," Bruixe told him. "Stronger than Roxas. Stronger than anyone."

"I thought…" Axel looked a little ashamed now. "I thought if I could turn Sora into a Heartless… Roxas would come back, you know? I took Kairi as bait, but Saix was still after me, and he… well, I lost. Pretty bad. He took her to the castle. Anyway, I was hurt. Bad. And running from Saix wasn't helping. By the time I caught up to Sora – well, the kid was way outnumbered, and he was going nowhere fast. And I guess I figured – I wasn't going to get to see Roxas again, and I'd kidnapped Kairi for no reason. I wanted to make it up to him. There were a lot – Saix sent the Assassins, too, almost as if he was trying to piss me off. And I went and overdid it – but really, Bruixe, you should have seen it. I was amazing."

"Amazingly stupid," she said quietly, but she didn't mean it, and Axel knew it. "Sorry… sorry I didn't come back."

"Don't worry about it. Really." He changed the subject awkwardly. "So, this Riku guy… he's like, your boyfriend?"

"Hey, you're dead," Bruixe replied. "You're not allowed to be jealous."

"Yeah, yeah," he grumbled.

Thinking about Riku made her anxious again, and she brushed her hair away from her face, an old habit. Axel noticed.

"You're really worried about him, huh?" he observed.

Bruixe hesitated, then admitted, "Enough people have died because of me. You, Demyx… Danthus… Terra… I can't – no, I won't lose Riku. I've lost too much already."

"You scared?" Axel asked quietly.

She couldn't answer that, because she was, but she would never, ever admit it.

"Hey, it's okay," he told her.

Bruixe shook her head. "I've always known what to do," she whispered. "I've always known what's right. And you know – you know I won't back down. But… I'm lost. I don't know what to do anymore. Because I can't lose him. But I… what I'm doing is wrong. I know that."

Axel placed a hand on her shoulder, grey against cream. "You have to protect him," he said. "No matter what."

She nodded, but her heart wasn't in it.

"That's what friends do," Axel insisted. "You've always taken pride in your friends. You'd lay your life down in an instant for them. That's why we called you the Avenger, remember? And if you really, um," he hesitated, "if you really – like this guy…"

Bruixe couldn't help but laugh a little at his careful avoidance of the 'L' word.

He cleared his throat. "Anyway, he's important to you. You've got to put him above everything else. If you can do that, things will all fall into place, right?"

She looked at him for a long time, then said, "Right."

"So what's it like?" Axel asked. "Having a heart, I mean. Was it worth it?"

Bruixe thought about the fear, the pain, the grief that plagued her dreams, then remembered the laughter, too – and the happiness, and above all else, love.

"Yeah," she said finally. "Yeah, it was."

Axel grinned, the same cocky smirk he'd always worn. "That's what I thought," he said, satisfied. "You always were a terrible actress, Miss Violent."

True to her name, she punched him, and their laughter echoed around the small room, and for a while she forgot the fear, and the pain.

* * *

**review please.**


	16. Trustworthy

I know, I know. There's no Bruixe in this chapter. I promise, you'll survive.

Out of every character here, I own only Bruixe, Ren, Hanna, and the Councilors. The rest, well, I think you know who to thank for them.

Enjoy.

* * *

_What a shame we all became such fragile broken things  
__A memory remains, just a tiny spark  
__I give it all my oxygen  
__To let the flames begin  
__Let the flames begin, oh glory  
__This is how we'll dance when  
__When they try to take us down  
__This is what will be, oh glory  
_-Paramore, "Let the Flames Begin"

* * *

Ren waited anxiously in the small alley behind the Temple of Heroes, wringing her hands. Winter was settling into the Eternal Kingdom, and she could smell chimney smoke and the crisp, pure scent of coming snow. She breathed deeply and exhaled impatiently, earning a wry laugh from her sister.

"Relax," Hanna advised from where she sat on the ground, back against the Temple wall. "They'll be back soon, and we can sort all this out."

"I'm not worried about Sora and Kairi," Ren mumbled. "I'm worried about Bruixe."

Hanna looked up at her little sister and smiled, rubbing her wrists. Ren winced as she looked at the raw wounds the shackles had gouged in Hanna's arms.

"You really like that girl, huh?" Hanna asked.

Ren shrugged. "She reminds me of you," she said.

"Well, then she must be a beautiful, cunning, confident person," Hanna replied nonchalantly. "Tell me about her."

Ren leaned against the wall and let herself slide down into a sitting position. "She's more… violent than you," she admitted. "On the way to Councilor Isalena's manor, there was this creepy guy that kind of started hitting on us. Bruixe smashed his face and tossed him out of the wagon."

"Jeez," Hanna muttered, and Ren laughed softly.

"She's strong," she went on, "but she's kind, too, even though she pretends not to be. When we got caught by a few guards, she tried really hard to knock them out without killing them. But one of them was a little too strong, and I think she kind of had to – to, um, kill him. When we got inside, she got really sick. I don't think she'd ever deliberately killed someone before.

"Anyway, she was really protective of me – and she'd only known me for a couple days," Ren continued. "And… Sora said she has to make those Chaser things to keep Riku alive. If she was that protective of me, I can't even imagine how she must feel about him," she finished.

"I wish I could meet her," Hanna mused.

"You will," Ren said, wishing there was a way to make the words come true.

Footsteps echoed down the alley, and Ren jumped to her feet as Sora and Kairi came around the corner, slightly out of breath.

"Garrison's gonna meet with us in two hours, after the Council meeting," Sora told them.

"Councilor Garrison," Hanna corrected.

"Yeah, yeah," he grumbled. "Councilor. He said to go to his house – you'd know where it was, Hanna?"

"Yes," the lieutenant replied, shakily getting to her feet.

"I'm just worried someone will recognize us," Kairi murmured, concerned.

"I can get us there without crossing any main roads," Hanna told her. "That's the best I can do."

"Why did you two ask for Councilor Garrison's help, anyway?" Ren asked.

"Bruixe always said she trusted him the most," Kairi told her. "Out of all the Councilors, he was the kindest, or at least that's what she said."

"She's right," Ren agreed, but Hanna shook her head.

"Danthus was kinder than Garrison ever could be," she said quietly, and the grief in her voice was obvious.

Hanna hadn't told them what had taken place since she was taken prisoner, and none of them wanted to ask. But it was clear that the memory was terrible.

"Even if someone does recognize us, so what?" Sora pointed out. "The worst that could happen is that Isalena could see us."

"Councilor Isalena," Hanna replied firmly.

"Whatever!" he said impatiently. "Even if she does, what's she gonna do? Attack us in broad daylight in the middle of Kingdom City? No way. And if anyone else recognizes us, it'll probably help. We're heroes, right? Well, me and Kairi anyway."

"Mostly just you," Kairi corrected.

"What I'm saying is, people have got to believe us," Sora finished.

Ren fidgeted. "You really think so? The word of four kids against two Councilors?"

Hanna held up her mangled wrists. "We have enough proof," she reminded them. "Most people will know that I was in General Danthus' squad when we went missing. They'll listen to my story, because they want answers."

"And the guards at the Temple were saying that they heard screams coming from the mountains," Kairi said quietly.

Ren's gaze fixed on the redhead. "What?"

Kairi nodded grimly, eyes sorrowful. "They said there's an old abandoned house up there, and the girl that used to live there died. They think it's the ghost of the girl. They're kind of right, I guess."

Ren frowned. "Who used to live there?"

Sora and Kairi exchanged looks, then Sora asked, "Um… did you ever hear about a girl named… Rubesia, I think it was?"

Hanna looked shocked. "Isn't that the name of Xehanort the Cruel's daughter? But she died, years ago. Is that the ghost they were talking about?"

"She didn't die," Sora told them. "She… well, she, um… she ran away. And changed her name. To Bruixe."

Both sisters' mouths fell open.

"Bruixe is Rubesia?" Ren whispered. "She's Xehanort's daughter? But Rubesia was supposed to be evil, like a demon-child, they said."

"Let's just say she… had a change of heart," Sora said.

* * *

Garrison's home was within the city walls, unlike many of the other Councilors. Hanna explained that he liked to live among the people, so that he could know how to help them the best. She told them that Garrison was the people's favorite councilor, earning him the nickname 'The Pleaser'.

A servant at the door led the four to a sitting room decorated in green and gold, and the three girls sank into soft chairs, grateful for the chance to rest their feet. Sora paced for a while, then stopped behind Kairi's chair when Garrison entered.

"I must admit, I was surprised to see your faces again, Sora, Kairi," Garrison said. "Pleasantly surprised, of course."

"How do you know each other? Sir?" Ren wondered aloud.

"Councilor Garrison was the second-in-command of the Watch during the Chaser War," Sora told her.

"And you, lieutenant," Garrison continued, turning to Hanna, "you have given me much to be thankful for, and yet much to fear. How fared the rest of your comrades?"

"I think you know, sir," Hanna said quietly. "Did you… did you hear about General Danthus?"

Garrison nodded. "He will be sorely missed. Danthus was my friend as well as my mentor. The world will be a darker place without him."

Kairi almost smiled at the titles, but the importance of their conversation weighed heavily on her, and she kept her face blank.

"That's actually why we're here," Sora said. "What exactly were you told about Da – er, Councilor Danthus' death?"

"Councilor Isalena announced that he was murdered by outsiders," the Councilor told them. "She seized emergency powers and had authorized the creation of a protecting army – your friend Bruixe was with her."

Sora shook his head. "I don't really know how to say this, but… she's lying. Isa – um, Councilor Isalena killed Danthus. With her own hands."

Garrison's face was a mask of horrified shock. "It cannot be," he whispered. "Impossible."

"Not impossible," Hanna said, picking up where Sora had left off. "I was there, sir. I am… I'm the only surviving member of Danthus' squad. The others were all killed. Lady Isalena, she told me that I was to be her lieutenant, as I was Danthus' before. When I refused, she threw me into her dungeons." She held up her wrists to show the Councilor the truth of her words. "I know it seems impossible. But she is planning something far worse than you can imagine."

"I was with Bruixe when we came to the Eternal Kingdom," Ren piped up. "We went to confront Councilor Isalena, and Sora, Kairi, and Riku were behind us, but we were all captured."

"Do you know about the power of Bruixe's Keyblade, sir?" Sora asked suddenly.

Garrison hesitated, then nodded. "Yes. It was once the weapon of Xehanort the Cruel. He used it… he used it to create the Chasers."

"Isalena knows about it too," Sora told him. "She… she's forcing Bruixe to make Chasers for her, or she's going to kill Riku. She was using us as bait, too, but… Terra came for us."

Silence fell over the room as he spoke Terra's name, and Garrison frowned. "Where is the Liberator now?"

"He and Riku went to try and save Bruixe," Ren said worriedly.

"They'll be fine," Kairi whispered, as if saying the words could make them come true. "They'll come back."

"But… just in case," Sora said, "we came to you. Bruixe told us many times that you were the most trustworthy of the Council. And we knew you from the Chaser War… we need your help. If – heaven forbid – if anything were to happen, and Bruixe and Riku and Terra don't make it back, you have to convince people of the truth. Isalena has to be stopped."

The four waited with bated breath for Garrison's reaction. Finally the Councilor stood.

"This is terrible news indeed," he began. "Lady Isalena a traitor – and a new Chaser army breeding. It grieves me to think of what this may do to the Eternal Kingdom. If she has done what you say she has done, Isalena will not give up without a fight."

"And she's not alone," Ren said. "Councilor Rondot has allied with her."

Garrison shook his head, troubled. "Rondot never does anything without the support of Councilor Nester, and Velkin usually sides with Isalena as well. Those four… you cannot imagine the kind of power they have. To bring them down will take much more than Kingdom City can handle. Even if we were to mobilize the Watch against her… this Chaser army you speak of nearly destroyed us once."

He took a deep breath. "There will be war," he said quietly. "It is unavoidable. Isalena has gained favor with her ascent to power. Her followers are many. If she is to be brought down…"

"We'll help all we can," Sora promised, and the girls nodded their agreement.

"War," Ren breathed.

"I'll bet she expected this," Hanna said. "That's why she killed Councilor Danthus. So that if the people revolted, there would be no strong leader to oppose her."

"I'm sure Councilor Garrison is a fine leader," Kairi said, but Garrison shook his head.

"I can be a commander," he told them, "but I am not the general Danthus was. It isn't modesty – it is a statement of fact. And the Watch's numbers are few."

"But if we strike first?" Hanna persisted. "We could have the element of surprise, sir. If we move now – or within a day – we can cut off Lady Isalena's followers' access to their soldiers. Councilors Velkin and Nester both live within a few hours' ride. If you take squads of Watchmen and surround them before they can move, you can isolate Rondot and Isalena, cut off their chance of reinforcements."

Garrison nodded thoughtfully. "It… could just work."

"I can lead one battalion to Velkin's estates," Hanna volunteered, "and you could take another to Nester's, sir."

"But Bruixe, and Riku, and Terra!" Kairi reminded them. "If Isalena learns she's been found out, she might kill them, or use them as hostages against us."

"I'll go after them," Sora said.

"Not alone!" Kairi cried.

"Yes, alone," Sora told her softly. He leaned down so that he was face-to-face with her. "Do you remember what I told you two years ago? When you wanted to come to Hollow Bastion with me?"

Kairi ducked her head. "You said that I would be in your way," she said quietly. "But you don't have to protect me anymore."

"It's not about protecting you," he told her. "Even if you didn't need my protection – I wouldn't be able to think, or focus, if I was worried about you. And I'd worry about you no matter what."

"You can't baby me forever," she argued.

"I'm not babying you," Sora replied. "But the last thing we need is another one of us captured. And let's face it, I'm a better fighter than Bruixe or Riku – and maybe Terra, too. I can take care of myself. And I promise, as soon as I find them, we'll come straight back, and I'll never ask you to stay behind again."

"Promise?" Kairi demanded.

Sora thought for a moment, then relented. "Promise," he said, kissing her on the forehead.

"Do you know how to get to the old house?" Hanna asked.

Sora's face was grim. "In the mountains, right? I'll follow the screams."

"Don't say that," Ren begged, and Sora nodded.

"Good luck," Garrison said.

"You too," he told them, and then ran out of Garrison's home, already anticipating the feel of two Keyblades in his hands, and the faces of his friends when they were finally together again.

* * *

**review. DO IT.**


	17. Darkness

Hey, guys. Sorry it's been so long, but I ended up writing this whole chapter about Kairi and Garrison, decided I didn't like it, scrapped the whole thing, and decided to leave it out. Then I wrote this. So theoretically I wrote two chapters this time and only kept one. Crappy, huh? Enjoy.

* * *

_No time for goodbye  
__He said, as he faded away  
__Don't put your life in someone's hands  
__They're bound to steal it away  
__Don't hide your mistakes  
_'_Cause they'll find you, burn you, then he said  
__If you want to get out alive  
__Oh, run for your life  
_-Three Days' Grace, "Get Out Alive"

* * *

It was strange, being on your own, Sora decided.

It seemed like he'd always had someone beside him – Donald and Goofy, or Kairi, or Riku, or even Bruixe. His other friends, too – King Mickey, the Beast, Mulan, Auron, Hercules, Jack Skellington, Ariel. When was the last time he had fought alone? Radiant Garden, maybe – when the Heartless had invaded. Even when he'd fought Xemnas, Riku had been right there with him.

Not that he needed the help. But he'd always said that his strength came from his friends. That had been part of the reason the Keyblade had chosen him, in the beginning.

A rustle of movement in the trees somewhere to his right caught his ear, and he tensed, slowing to a stop.

_It's probably just an animal, Sora,_ he chided himself. _You're overreacting._

A few feet in front of him, three Heartless tumbled out of the brush, empty eyes fixed on him.

No, not Heartless, he realized. Chasers.

_Crap._ He'd forgotten that his heart was like a beacon to the monsters, and that Bruixe wasn't necessarily in control of them. And even if she was, it was likely Isalena had ordered her to put them on patrol specifically for this reason – to keep Sora and company out.

_Well, I guess I found them._

Whatever the case, Isalena had underestimated him. Three Chasers were nothing compared to the horde he and his friends had fought last time. He dispatched them easily, barely breaking a sweat. But he had forgotten the creatures' unearthly screams, which echoed through the trees.

He may as well have put a flashing neon sign above his head. _Here I am!_

Cursing under his breath, Sora broke into a jog, not really sure which way he was supposed to be going, but trying to get as far away from this spot as possible. He hadn't got far before there was more movement in the trees.

However, this time it was not a Chaser that stepped out to meet him, but a man, tall and thin, with thinning grey hair and murky brown eyes. Sora vaguely recognized him as the man who had been with Lady Isalena – what had Riku called him? Rondot? That sounded right. Garrison had mentioned that he was a Councilor.

"Good evening," Rondot said cordially. "Lovely day for a walk, don't you think?"

"Where're Riku and Bruixe?" Sora demanded.

Rondot shook his head. "Let's not be hasty. After all, seeing as which you have come prepared for battle… 'twould be a shame to disappoint."

He drew his sword, a hand-and-a-half, in his right hand, raising his left above his head. Sora's skin crawled as darkness swirled around Rondot.

"Besides," he reasoned, "I cannot allow you to impede Lady Isalena's progress any longer."

"Darkness?" Sora whispered. The air felt heavy, like it had on the dark beach a year ago, after he and Riku had defeated Xemnas. The darkness had never affected him before that, but as he'd said himself, _maybe the darkness has gotten to me too._

"Chilling, isn't it?" Rondot said. "For a person as full of light as yourself, your first taste of darkness must be rather surprising. You see, my darkness is not the same as your old friend Xehanort – or his Heartless, as I should say. My darkness can steal into your very soul. Are you prepared, bright hero? The darkness will crush you."

Sora gritted his teeth. "It's welcome to try," he said grimly.

* * *

Riku had been dozing against the wall in the tiny room he'd been locked in when a jolt woke him from sleep. He winced, putting a hand to his broken ribs.

After a few shallow breaths, he realized what had woken him. A bitter, metallic odor pervaded the air, almost imperceptible. Almost – except that Riku would recognize that smell anywhere, had learned to detect it no matter how faint.

An uneasy feeling surfaced in his stomach, but he pushed it away. _Get a grip,_ he told himself. _I got over this a long time ago. I'm not afraid. The darkness can't control me anymore._

It hadn't been the darkness that had controlled him, in any case. It had been Ansem. Well, not Ansem, not really.

He could still hear the Heartless' words. _I gave you the darkness… my scent lingers._

Riku had proved stronger, conquering Ansem's shadow. But the darkness he could smell now was different. Not as foul as Ansem's… but more potent, filling his senses more completely.

He inhaled again, steeling himself to the taste, and stood. He felt like an addict faced with his drug again. The scent made him feel powerful. High.

Where had it come from? Outside, somewhere? He could find out later. Right now he needed to make use of this unexpected gift.

Riku opened his mind, letting the darkness flow through him. He shivered at first, this new, different darkness a bit of a shock to his system, but he quickly gained control.

He thrust his hand forward, and the door to his prison exploded outward with a noise like the end of the world. He ran through, knowing it wouldn't be long before someone came running, and looked around.

Where was he? It didn't look like the manor he'd broken into with Terra. Riku peered out a window; trees surrounded the tiny building, so he couldn't be far – maybe they were keeping him in an outer building, or something.

A pair of guards spotted him, ran for him, but he phased past them, the darkness making his movements so fast they were almost imperceptible, clipping one on the back of the helm and the other in his side, below his ribs. Riku had always loved this part, he wouldn't deny it – striking from nowhere, keeping the enemy guessing. The terrifying power of the darkness.

But he mustn't linger here too long. Bruixe was waiting.

* * *

Sora was fighting valiantly, but the darkness was making his moves slow, sluggish, taking away any advantage of speed he might have had over his much older opponent. And to make matters worse, Rondot kept switching his sword, left hand, right hand, attacking equally with both, unpredictable.

"Quit dancing and fight," Sora growled angrily, the tenth or twelfth time his slashes missed the Councilor.

"You're simply too slow," Rondot replied calmly, landing a quick blow to Sora's knee. Sora lost his balance for a moment and slipped, but rolled to the side and back to his feet in time to block the next blow.

"Whatever could be the matter?" Rondot continued. "Is something weighing you down?"

"Shut up!" Sora yelled, slicing with his left-hand Keyblade, then switching his weight to stab with his right. Both rebounded off of Rondot's blade, completely ineffective.

"Fire!" Sora shouted out of desperation, and this time he hit Rondot, but the Councilor seemed to just shake it off, unfazed.

Somewhere off in the trees, a quick, light sound drummed toward them. _Footsteps?_ Sora wondered. Then a voice, an incredulous whisper so soft Sora almost thought he imagined it.

"Sora?"

Rondot raised his blade to strike at Sora again, but something struck him from the side, catching him off guard, and he stumbled.

Then Riku was at Sora's side, breathing lightly, eyes widened with that look of power, the dangerous kind. Soul Eater – or at least, that's what it had been called before it was a Keyblade, Sora remembered; what was it now? – was poised over one shoulder, wing-like blade steady.

"Riku?" Sora said in disbelief.

"Need some help?" Riku asked, and Sora was shocked to hear that double timbre to his friend's voice, as if Ansem – or was it Xehanort? – was speaking through him again.

"I thought you said you wouldn't use the darkness anymore," Sora remembered, wary.

"I'm in control," Riku said confidently. "Besides, without it I wouldn't be here. Shall we?"

He moved so fast he blurred right out of Sora's vision, and for a brief moment Sora remembered fighting him, remembered that terrible strength that wasn't Riku's, couldn't be human.

_Chill out,_ he told himself. _If he says he's in control, he's in control._

"Hey, leave some for me," Sora called.

Rondot was on the defensive now – he'd been faster than Sora, but the darkness that had slowed Sora only made Riku faster, stronger. Where Rondot could strike once, Riku landed two blows; every step Sora took to aid his friend lasted for three of Riku's.

But Rondot was anything but worried. In fact, his face looked almost smug.

"So, it takes two so-called heroes to fight me," he taunted. "How pathetic. And I was told you two destroyed Xehanort's Heartless and Nobody? They must not have been as strong as the stories said."

The two friends ignored this, driving Rondot back towards the edge of the trees.

"Well, I suppose without your dark friend, you'd be dead," Rondot continued, now talking to Sora. "Of course, he believes he can control his darkness. But not all darkness is like your old friend Xehanort's."

Rondot threw all his weight at Sora, knocking him to the ground with the force of his swing. Riku moved like lightning, Soul Eater flicking Rondot's sword out of his hand – _the wrong hand!_ Sora wanted to scream. But it was too late, and Rondot's free hand darted through the opening Riku had left, clamping over Riku's face, darkness pouring through the contact, endless darkness, more darkness, Sora knew, than Riku had ever been able to control before.

Now Riku was between Sora and Rondot, held immobile, and Sora couldn't have helped him even if he hadn't been frozen in horror – and as he watched helplessly, Riku's eyes became wide again – but not with power, this time. With fear.

Rondot smirked triumphantly, growled, "Now vanish," and threw Riku to the ground, where he collapsed, sinking into a pool of darkness.

"NO!" Sora shouted, lunging at Rondot, and plunged his Keyblade through the unarmed Councilor's chest.

The incredible pressure bearing down on him disappeared as Rondot died, the ghost of his last grin etched upon his face, and the darkness consuming the surrounding area dissolved into nothing. But nothing could bring back Riku, Sora knew.

His friend had finally succumbed to darkness.

* * *

**I know. I know. I'm crying, too.**

**review, please. sniff… sniff…**


	18. High Time

Hey guys. Guess what? The musical's over. Which means I have way more time to update. I know, I know. I'm amazing. :) Anyway, I realize I upset a lot of you at the end of last chapter… I'm sorry… but it had to happen, because the rest of the story depends on it. So… hang in there. And I really, really hope I haven't lost anyone.

Once again, I don't own any of Square-Enix's characters, regardless of how much suffering I put them through. *sigh*

That said, enjoy.

* * *

_I used to be my own protection, but not now  
_'_Cause my path has lost direction somehow  
__A black wind took you away from sight  
__And held the darkness over day that night  
__So now you're gone and I was wrong  
__I never knew what it was like  
__To be alone  
-_Linkin Park, "Valentine's Day"

* * *

Bruixe was in the middle of severing a Chaser when it hit her – a blinding pain, somewhere beneath her breastbone, chasing the breath from her lungs and making her crumple to the ground.

She was dimly aware of the soul she hadn't finished screaming in agony – or were those her own screams? She couldn't tell.

The pain lessened a little, enough for her to breathe again, and now she was able to wonder what the hell was going on. Was this some Chaser side-effect?

_No, _Xehanort's voice answered her. _This pain comes from you, from your own heart._

But why? Hearts didn't just explode in pain for no reason.

Slowly Bruixe got herself under control, forcing herself to her feet, and reached for Fallen Angel. But it was gone, probably having vanished when she fell.

She thrust a hand out, calling it to her, but nothing came.

_What?_

Bruixe tried again and again, but her Keyblade wouldn't come, and despite herself she felt the familiar verge of panic making its way into her heart.

_Calm down,_ she told herself firmly. _There's got to be a reason for this…_

* * *

"My lady?" came a tentative voice from down the hall.

"Yes, what is it, Rawlings?" Isalena demanded impatiently.

Her servant approached, looking around anxiously. "There's been a slight problem."

Isalena fixed him with her steely glare, and Rawlings quailed. "Tell me," she ordered.

"Lord Rondot is dead," he said finally. "The Keybearer boy – the one who was in the City – came to attempt to rescue his friends. Rondot intercepted him, but the boy won."

"Impossible," Isalena scoffed. "That little lightweight wouldn't have stood a chance against Rondot's darkness."

"There is more," Rawlings said tentatively. "At the same time… one of the prisoners escaped. The boy. He joined forces with his friend."

Isalena's eyes widened.

"The soldiers who witnessed the battle tell me that Rondot did manage to kill the prisoner – Riku, wasn't that his name? The first boy was enraged. It was he who destroyed Rondot."

"You are telling me that the only bargaining chip I have to ensure the creation of my army is dead," Isalena seethed.

Rawlings cringed.

Isalena took several long breaths. "How many Chasers has Bruixe created?" she demanded.

"I don't know, my lady," Rawlings stammered. "A hundred, perhaps. Perhaps more."

"It will have to be enough," Isalena said decisively. "If the boy is dead, Bruixe will have no reason to obey me. She's far too dangerous to keep around in that situation. It's high time she disappeared."

Rawlings raised a hand timidly. "But my lady… how do you plan to control the Chasers… er, Wardens, without the girl?"

"We shall cross that bridge when we come to it," Isalena answered. "Rawlings. Find the captain of the guard, and tell him I want the girl executed."

Rawling's jaw fell slack. "What?"

"You heard me. Tell him…" A small, sardonic smile appeared on the Councilor's face. "Tell him to take her to the lake and drown her."

* * *

_Why?!_ Bruixe thought angrily, hand clenching and re-clenching as if she could force Fallen Angel to appear. _Why won't it come? Xehanort! Answer me!_

But the voice of her father was strangely silent.

_Great timing,_ she snarled mentally. Her arm throbbed, the wound Isalena had given her.

_Isalena,_ she realized with a wave of dread. If the Councilor found out Bruixe couldn't make Chasers anymore…

_Don't think about it,_ she told herself.

Footsteps echoed from outside; Bruixe whirled and faced the Room's entrance as the door burst open, soldiers filing in, lining the walls on all sides, weapons held at the ready. One strode forward, an officer of some sort by the look of him, and flicked the point of his blade up to Bruixe's throat. She didn't flinch, didn't move at all, just stood there, impassive, watching it all from behind the safeguard of her blindfold.

The officer gave a nod, and then she was hit from behind, and the world went black.

* * *

Sora clenched his teeth, brushing the tears from his face with the back of his arm, and forced his feet to move from where they seemed to have rooted themselves to the spot. _Come on,_ he told himself. Now wasn't the time. He still had a friend in danger, after all.

How long had he been standing here? _Stupid,_ he berated. Time was of the essence here – if anyone found out what had happened, stumbled across Rondot's corpse… because if Riku – Riku – well, Bruixe was in trouble, too.

He sprinted through the clearing, sore muscles protesting, but he'd run for longer, he'd felt worse. It was a matter of minutes before he reached the house – the building was obvious, really. It screamed 'evil'. Where better to house and torture two prisoners?

Sora slid to a stop and scanned the surrounding area for guards, but there were none. _Not a good sign._ Throwing caution to the winds, he strode forward, Keyblades at the ready, and pushed open the front door.

There was no one in sight; the house was deserted, but not dusty – which meant someone had been there recently, and Sora was willing to bet who.

_Too late,_ he realized, and ran for the door, hoping he could reach Bruixe before he lost her, too.

* * *

As Bruixe regained consciousness, she became aware of three things.

First, that her hands were tied – no, chained – behind her back, and her legs were chained as well, at the ankles. Which led her to the second thing – she was being carried, slung unceremoniously over someone's shoulder, along a sandy road interspersed with rocks and random patches of dunegrass. Which meant that she was – near the lake?

The third thing she noticed was that there was an entire unit of soldiers around her, and they were talking in loud, harsh voices.

"Don't see why we had to go to all this trouble," said one. "I mean, dead's dead, if'n it's a knife to the gizzard or a drop in the lake."

"The lady had somethin' special in mind for this'n," replied another. "Downright sinister, if you ask me."

"Why're we offin' her anyway?" asked a third.

"Seems like a lot of trouble keepin' her alive all this time if'n we were just goin' ta kill her anyway," agreed the first.

"You didn' hear?" said a new voice in disbelief. "Ol' Steelena lost her barganin' chip."

_Riku!_ Bruixe realized with jubilation. _Riku got out!_

"Whaddya mean?" someone asked.

A gruff snort. "The girl's trouble if we got nothin' to control her with. And Rondot up'n killed her little boyfriend this morning."

Bruixe's breath rushed out, and her heart seemed to be made of ice. Around her, the unit of soldiers came to a halt, and the man carrying her stepped forward.

"Damn shame," he said. "She's such a pretty thing."

"A pretty thing that took out Lieutenant Stenson," someone replied. "Good riddance."

A sudden lurch, and then Bruixe was falling, sideways, upside down, having just enough time to realize – she'd been thrown off a cliff.

Then the shock came, an explosion of icy water, rough with winter storms, and Bruixe just barely managed to keep air in her lungs, but the chains around her limbs were dragging her, and she couldn't kick or pull, not that she knew how to swim anyway, or that she even knew which way was up if she could.

Already her lungs were burning, demanding more air, but of course there wasn't any – this was the end, she was going to die, just like the horror-dream Isalena had given her. What was the point in struggling? After all, there was no way out of this one – no Riku there to save her –

Because Riku was dead. Even if she did manage to get out of this, it wouldn't bring him back – so why bother?

What would happen to her when she died? Would she become a Nobody again? No, that was impossible, because it wasn't darkness around her this time, it was water, and water didn't steal your heart, only your life.

She exhaled, expelling all her air in bubbles, ready to give up.

But who would willingly suck in a lungful of water? Even if she did want to die, even if she was ready –

But now her lungs were operating on their own, and involuntarily she felt her mouth open, and then she was choking, pain exploding in her chest. She couldn't see anymore – only blackness, and violently colored stars.

From somewhere, a splash, and a rush of tiny bubbles.

Strong arms clamped around her waist, dragging her backwards – or was it up? - and what felt like hours but must have been only thirty seconds later, air, blessed air, icy and sharp, but she couldn't force herself to breathe it.

Whoever had saved her pulled her to shore, dragged her up on the sands, pounded water from her lungs, and then, with a muttered curse, a mouth on hers, forcing the air into her body. Hands rolled her to the side as she choked, expelling the last of the water from her lungs, and her vision finally cleared.

"Jeez, Bruixe," said a voice, and her head whipped around, but it wasn't the face she was looking for, it was Sora's face, brown hair plastered to his head, skin pale with the cold.

Bruixe's teeth began chattering, and her breath came in short pants, but she asked anyway, because she had to know. "Is… is it… true?"

"Is what true?" Sora asked, but it was clear in his eyes that he already knew.

"Is he…" Bruixe began, but couldn't finish.

Sora closed his eyes and turned away. "…Yeah," he said finally. "He's gone."

* * *

Isalena paced back and forth across the Room of Awakening, pondering.

"Over one hundred Wardens, and no way to control them," she thought aloud. "It's a shame the girl had to be disposed of. She could have been quite useful…"

She sat in the sculpted chair, long fingers drumming against the arms, then said, "Xehanort!"

The Room hummed to life, and the greyish silhouette of her former comrade appeared.

"Isalena, my dear," Xehanort greeted her. "It's been too long."

"Indeed," Isalena agreed. "I find myself in need of your assistance."

"Oh, I know," Xehanort said airily. "Which is why I have decided to give you a gift."

Isalena raised a slim eyebrow as he drifted towards her and gripped her right hand.

"My useless daughter can't continue my work anymore," Xehanort whispered. "So I am counting on you."

"You have my word," Isalena promised, and then a Keyblade appeared in her hand, not Sekhmet, but a different Keyblade, its handle violet, its handguard and blade black; from its chain dangled a diamond-shaped symbol of silver thorns. Silver webs were etched in the handle, and the blade and handguard were designed to look like featheredwings.

Isalena's eyes widened as she recognized it, and she threw her head back as her laughter echoed around the Room.

* * *

**ooo, scary... review please...**


	19. Merciless

Hello, everyone. It's spring break here, so you can all look forward to more frequent updates.

Can I just rant for a minute? (No, don't actually answer that, because I'm going to anyway.) So I've been playing Final Fantasy 12, which is one of those games where if you die you get sent back to the last place you saved – and you have to start over whatever you were doing. So I just beat this CRAZY boss and I was all excited (and very, very close to dead) and I walk into the next room, expecting there to be another save point (because there usually is) and end up walking straight into this explosion trap that kills me. Completely. As in, I have to fight the frickin' Ahrimans again. GRRRR.

Which is why I gave up and started on chapter 19. Good story, right? *sigh*

As always, I don't own these characters. Except Bruixe. 'Cause she's awesome… when she's not moping, that is…

* * *

"_Is something wrong?" she said  
__Of course there is  
_"_You're still alive" she said  
__Oh, and do I deserve to be?  
__Is that the question?  
__And if so… if so…  
__Who answers?  
_-Pearl Jam, "Alive"

* * *

Kairi stepped out into the hallway, closing the door to the bedroom quietly behind her.

"How is she?" Sora asked immediately, standing up.

"I did the best I could with her arm," Kairi answered slowly. "But it went too long without attention – it's gonna scar. And something's wrong with her eyes, they're all yellow, but she won't let me try to fix them."

"That's not what I meant," Sora told her.

"She said she wanted to be alone," Kairi said, looking up at him, and he saw that her eyes were red-rimmed and swollen.

He went to her, wrapping her in his arms, and she buried her face in his shoulder.

"I kept hoping they'd get away," she whispered brokenly. "But not like this…"

"I know," Sora murmured into her hair. "I know."

* * *

Bruixe gazed vacantly at the wall of the bedroom, white like the rest of it, white sheets, white curtains. Outside, even the city was white, snow blanketed over every street and housetop.

When she was a child, living in Garrison's house after her father had died, she'd loved this room, loved the pureness, the crispness of it. Now it just felt empty, void.

She looked down at her hands, one bandaged, the other unmarked, almost as pale as the sheets, because of whatever strange genetic inheritance made her skin fair, impervious to tanning. In this room the only things that weren't white were her hair, her jeans, her vest – _his_ vest. Her eyes.

Thankfully there wasn't a mirror in this room.

She wrapped her arms around her stomach, wishing they were his.

Why was it that some died and others didn't? she wondered. Was it fate? Or was it some other power?

He hadn't deserved to die. If anyone, it should have been her. She was the one that had killed people. Had created Chasers. One hundred and eighty-three of them. Enough to destroy a world.

No, it couldn't be fate. 'Fate' implied a certain amount of logic, some reasoning behind who lived and who died. This didn't make sense.

_To hell with fate._

How much time had passed, here in this endless sea of white? The sun had risen and set, she knew. Three times? Four? Ten? She wasn't counting.

Someone knocked at the door, Kairi probably, with something she'd try to make Bruixe eat. "I'm not hungry," she called softly.

The door opened, and it wasn't Kairi, but Councilor Garrison. "May I come in?" he asked.

"…Sure," Bruixe said indifferently.

Garrison sat in the chair next to her bed and showed her what was in his hands – her old kodachis, simple black hilts worn in the shape of her hands, blades still sharp as ever.

"Terra gave you these, didn't he?" Garrison said. "After you came here. And he's the one that taught you to fight, as well."

Bruixe looked away. She didn't want to think about Terra, not now. It hurt too much.

"I imagine it must be hard for you," the Councilor told her. "I was not there for you as I should have been. I was charged with your care… but I didn't know, then, what that should have meant. But Terra, he gave you what I could not."

Bruixe was silent.

"And then you found a life of your own, outside," Garrison continued. "I cannot tell you how proud I was to see you again, before the Council. You were not the little Rubie I had known… you were a grown woman, content in where she was in life and at peace with herself. And do not think I don't know how much of that was due to your new friends. Especially Riku."

Bruixe's chest constricted again, and she gritted her teeth. She would not cry, not again. She had no tears left.

"I know this will be hard for you," Garrison said softly. "But I am afraid I must ask you for help, one last time. This conflict is far from over, Bruixe. We still need your help. The Watch and I have managed to isolate Councilors Velkin and Nester. But Isalena's force of Chasers is still out there. And you of all people should know that the Watch cannot fight them alone. We need you, Bruixe."

He held out her knives by the sheaths, and she took them, feeling their old familiar weight. 'Impetus' and 'Ratio', Terra had called them. _Passion and reason. You will need both to defend yourself. Don't lose sight of them._

Bruixe thought about Garrison's plea. So he wanted her to kill Chasers, did he?

Somewhere beneath her ribs, a new fire blossomed, not the fierce blaze of grief and pain, but something more subtle, a slow smolder, quieter but just as strong.

She recognized it, though it had been a long, long time since she'd felt it.

"What do you say?" Garrison asked.

Bruixe looked at him, eyes hard. "Show me where they are."

* * *

"You're worried about her," Sora said.

Kairi shielded her eyes from the glare of the sun off the pristine snow. "Don't tell me you aren't," she replied. "I've never seen her like this."

"Me neither," Sora agreed.

Together they looked up, where Bruixe stood alone atop the outer wall of Kingdom City, overlooking the forest. Garrison had given her a heavy black cloak to guard against the harsh wind, and it billowed around her, along with her long dark hair, which she'd tied back in a tail. From this distance, Sora thought she looked like no more than a shadow, writhing in the wind, insubstantial.

"It scares me a little, to see her like that," Kairi admitted.

Sora nodded grimly. "Can you blame her, though?"

Behind them, the unmistakable sound of chocobo feet came crunching over the snow. They turned to see Hanna and Ren riding toward them.

"What's Bruixe doing up there?" Hanna wanted to know.

Sora shrugged. "Just watching, probably," he told the sisters. "And thinking. She does a lot of that, these days."

"Well, she's made an impression on some of the Watch," Hanna said. "Have you heard? They're talking about her like she's some sort of goddess. Terrible and proud, they're calling her. Bruixe the Merciless. Did you see how she took out those Chasers yesterday? Twelve of them, and she killed them singlehandedly, didn't even flinch."

Ren's green eyes were sad. "That's not like her," she murmured. "Bruixe is kind, and funny."

"Not anymore," Sora said grimly.

"Don't say that," Kairi begged. "Please… don't judge her. I can't even imagine… if something were to happen to you, I… I couldn't bear it. Think of how she must be feeling."

Sora shifted uncomfortably. "She's not the only one upset," he muttered.

"We're all suffering," Kairi said.

"So why are you two here?" Sora asked, changing the subject, albeit badly.

"I've got information for Bruixe," Hanna said. "Chaser sightings."

"Where?" Sora asked.

Hanna shook her head. "Garrison said, 'Tell Bruixe. No one else.' Don't ask me why. I just follow orders."

Sora scowled, but said, "Fine. Well, you know where she is."

* * *

"Bruixe?" said a tiny voice.

Bruixe turned, fixed her gaze on Ren, and the younger girl shivered a little. Bruixe knew why. She'd abandoned the blindfold, so the whole world could see it, what had happened to her. It satisfied her, even just a little, to know that it frightened people. That was the mantle she had taken up, after all.

She'd heard them talking about her. _Bruixe the Merciless._ The title was fine with her. It didn't bother her how similar the name was to her father's. Once she would have been angry, but now there was only one thing that could hold her anger.

"Garrison sent us," Ren said timidly.

"Someone saw Chasers outside the Water Gate," Hanna reported. "Near the lake. And supposedly Isalena's with them."

_Isalena._

The smoldering beneath her ribs flared.

"How long ago?" Bruixe demanded.

"Just this morning," Hanna replied. "No one else knows, so… be careful. You're on your own."

Bruixe's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Well…" Hanna admitted. "I was supposed to tell Sora, too. Garrison didn't think it was safe for just one. But I knew you'd want to do it alone."

Bruixe met the older girl's eyes steadily, about to thank her, but Hanna just nodded in understanding. She turned to go.

"Wait," Ren pleaded. "Bruixe, don't. Don't go…"

Bruixe hesitated, almost turned around, but nothing could break her resolve, not now. "Sorry, Ren," she muttered, and took off along the wall, racing towards the Water Gate.

_Isalena,_ she thought with hatred. _It won't be long now._

* * *

She found the Chasers easily, her heart, damn the thing, attracting them like a beacon. Isalena must have found some way to control them, though, because they didn't attack her immediately. Could that have been where Fallen Angel had disappeared to?

_Great,_ she thought. _One more enemy Keyblade to worry about._

There were eight of them, all together, but Isalena was nowhere in sight. Irritation flickered across her face. So Hanna had been wrong.

The Chasers circled her, twitching, and she stood easily in the center, kodachis held loosely by her sides, the numbers racing through her brain.

One hundred and eighty-three – Chasers she'd created. Minus four, minus seven, minus three, minues twenty-one – Chasers that Sora and Hanna and Ren and the Watch had destroyed.

One hundred and forty-eight.

Forty-two – Chasers she'd taken out herself.

One hundred and six.

_Minus eight,_ she thought, tallying those around her now.

Ninety-eight.

_Ninety-eight bottles of beer on the wall, _went a song in her head.

_Ninety-eight Chasers of death left to kill… ninety-eight Chasers of death… take one down, drag it around, ninety-seven Chasers of death left to kill…_

It wouldn't be long now.

Knives glinting in the sun, she sprang at the nearest Chaser.

* * *

**review please. thanks.**

* * *


	20. Here In the Twilight Hour

Hey, guys and girls. I've had a few questions about Bruixe's weapon choice (not the Keyblade, dorks), so here goes:

The kodachi (literally 'small sword') is a Japanese sword too short to be considered a longsword but too long to be a dagger. It was considered a much faster weapon than the typical katana-wakizashi combination favored by samurai of the Edo period. The handle features greater curvature and a longer handle than the more common wakizashi; it was designed for variable grips, including the reversed-grip (blade pointing backwards).

This chapter is reeeaaaalllly loooooong. But, as always, enjoy.

* * *

_Please don't cry one tear for me  
__I'm not afraid of what I have to say  
__This is my one and only voice  
__So listen close, it's only for today  
__I'm not angry, I'm just saying  
__Sometimes goodbye  
__Is a second chance  
_-Shinedown, "Second Chance"

* * *

Bruixe pulled the neck of her cloak higher, shielding her face from the bitter wind. It was still early, but dusk was beginning to settle, the short day of winter coming to a close.

This used to be the time of day Bruixe loved most, the half-light between day and night. After all, the Organization had called her the Twilight Avenger for a reason. Soon she would be able to live up to the second part of her name, too. Vengeance was coming, she could feel it.

Bruixe heard Ren before she saw her, off-balance footsteps echoing up the wall stairs. "Hey, Bruixe," said the younger girl, pulling herself onto the walltop and shivering. "Jeez. It's cold up here."

"You should've worn a cloak," Bruixe said, shrugging off her own and handing it to Ren.

"Thanks," said the younger girl sheepishly.

There was a long silence, as the sun slipped closer to the horizon and the sky began to take on a reddish-orange color. Ren sighed. "Pretty."

"Yeah," Bruixe agreed.

"Bruixe…" Ren said. "What was it? The Room of Awakening?"

The older girl was silent for a moment, then said, "It was a gateway, of sorts. You could call people from the other realm – people who had died. And you could talk to them."

"Bring them back?" Ren gasped, shocked.

"Not forever," Bruixe told her. "They can't stay in our realm. They keep a connection, to the realm of the dead. If you cut it, you get a Chaser."

"How'd you find it?"

"Isalena found it," Bruixe replied. "Under Xehanort's… under my old house. He'd hidden it, but it was all still there."

"So everyone who's ever died has gone there?" Ren asked.

"Yes," Bruixe said. "When I was there, I spoke to two of my old friends. They… they died, about a year and a half ago."

"Do you think… Terra and Riku are there, too?"

Even the mere mention of his name was enough to make her chest tighten. She nodded stiffly. "I… I never got the chance to talk to them, though. I…" Her voice trailed off. "It's too late now, anyway. Isalena's probably got it under lock and key."

Ren looked up thoughtfully. "If… if you could see Riku again… what would you say?"

Bruixe tried her best to answer, but couldn't force out the words. Finally she managed, "I don't know." Then, softer, "Probably… 'I'm sorry'. And…"

"I love you?" Ren asked.

Bruixe closed her eyes.

"You never got to say goodbye, huh," Ren whispered.

She unclasped Bruixe's cloak and handed it back to her, wrapping her frail arms around the older girl in a hug. "I'm sorry I brought it up," she said. "I bet it's hard."

"'S okay," Bruixe muttered gruffly.

Ren stepped back, green eyes unreadable. Strange – the girl usually wore her heart on her sleeve. _We've all done some growing up in the past few weeks,_ Bruixe thought.

"Take care of yourself, okay?" Ren asked.

"Sure," Bruixe said, turning back to look at the sky again – it was purple now, muted, the edges fading to black.

_Here, in the twilight hour,_ she thought. Where had she read that? Something from another life, no doubt. An old poem. '_Here in the twilight hour, I feel like I could die; when sorrow comes a rushing in, to send me to the sky.'_

_How appropriate._

* * *

"Hey, Bruixe, have you seen Ren?" Hanna asked from where she sat in the next room, chatting with Sora and Kairi.

Bruixe shrugged, hanging her cloak up on the rack by Garrison's front door. "Yeah, a few hours ago. She came up on the wall with me."

"Do you know where she went after that?" the lieutenant asked.

Bruixe frowned. "She didn't come back here?"

"Nope," Sora said. "We've been here for hours, we'd've seen her come in."

Bruixe stopped in the middle of pulling off her boots.

"Wonder where she could've gone?" Hanna said worriedly. "It's not like her to wander off like this."

"_If you could see Riku again… what would you say?"_

Bruixe hadn't asked why Ren was suddenly so curious about the realm of the dead. But she'd been asking an awful lot of questions… and Bruixe had told her exactly how to find the Room of Awakening.

"Shit," she cursed.

"What?" Hanna asked warily.

Bruixe shoved her foot back in her boot and grabbed her cloak back off the rack. "She's going back to the Room of Awakening," she said furiously. "She must think – dammit, this is my fault, I'll go after her."

"I'm coming with you," Hanna responded immediately.

"Me, too," Sora chimed in.

"No," Bruixe said firmly. "This is my fault, I'll take care of it."

"She's my sister," Hanna argued.

Bruixe gritted her teeth. "Fine. You can come. Sora, stay here."

"No way!" he protested. "You can't do anything without me. What's to stop someone dunking you in a lake again?"

"I don't need protecting," Bruixe pointed out. "This place does."

"Nothing will happen here," Sora said.

"Maybe," Bruixe replied. "But let's be honest, here. Without… well, now that it's just us, you and I are the only people tough enough to protect this place from Chasers. No offense, Hanna, but it's true. And if something were to happen out there, and both of us were taken out, Kingdom City would be done for. We can't take that risk."

Sora scowled, but Bruixe could tell he saw her point.

"Well, don't do anything stupid," he grunted finally.

Bruixe smirked. "I'm not you."

* * *

As it turned out, Ren wasn't hard to find. She'd left a trail of broken branches and crushed undergrowth so obvious a toddler could have followed it.

"Going somewhere?" Bruixe asked mildly, laying a hand on the smaller girl's shoulder.

Ren whirled around, her face a mask of panic, which quickly faded into badly-disguised guilt. "Um… no?"

Hanna let out a long, relieved breath. "Don't ever do that again," she scolded. "God, Ren, you scared me to death."

"I'm not a kid," Ren said sulkily. "You guys all run around and risk your lives fighting Chasers and stuff, and I sit at home doing nothing, and I just thought…"

Bruixe held up a hand. "I know. You just wanted to help… and I haven't been on top of things, lately. I know. And I'm grateful that you care that much about me, Ren. But coming out here could've been a really bad idea, Ren. You could at least have taken Sora with you. He would've agreed with you."

Ren looked down. "I didn't think of that."

"You never think things through!" Hanna began. "This is what happens when –"

"Quiet," Bruixe said.

"What?" Hanna demanded.

"I said quiet," Bruixe repeated, hands falling automatically to the hilts of her kodachis. She was sure she'd heard it – the crunch of feet over the frozen ground. She moved instinctively in front of the sisters as the culprits appeared – Chasers. Only ten of them, hardly a challenge.

But this wasn't the main threat here, Bruixe realized, as Councilor Isalena stepped out of the trees.

Behind Bruixe, metal rasped as Hanna drew her sword, and Bruixe could almost feel the anger rolling off of the lieutenant. Understandable. Here was the woman who had murdered her general, massacred her squad, held her captive for weeks, not to mention threatened her little sister.

"Why, Bruixe!" Isalena said, voice dripping with false courtesy. "What a lovely surprise!"

_We can't fight,_ Bruixe thought. _As much as I want to… the three of us can't take her. Not with all these Chasers here. We've got to escape._

No sooner had she thought this than the Chasers closed in behind them, cutting off their retreat.

"I do hope you'll do me the honor of staying a while," Isalena went on. "After all, absence does make the heart grow fonder. I must say, I didn't expect to see you again. Did you have a nice swim in the lake?"

"Shut up," Bruixe snarled. Hanna moved forward to stand at her side.

"Ah, the young lieutenant," Isalena said. "I'm so sorry that you didn't appreciate my hospitality, before. But I hope we can still be friends."

"I'll never be your friend!" Hanna shouted, leaping forward unexpectedly.

"Hanna, no!" Bruixe yelled, but it was too late – Isalena's Keyblade appeared in her hand and she flicked it lazily, clipping Hanna along the side of the head. She fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Hanna!" Ren cried, running to her sister and kneeling beside her.

Isalena twirled her Keyblade idly, as if showing it off. No, not Isalena's Keyblade, Bruixe realized with horror. Fallen Angel.

"That's mine," she growled, stepping forward.

Isalena gave a cold smile. "Not anymore, Bruixe, darling. Or haven't you ever been taught… what was it now, so childish… ah, yes… 'finders, keepers?'"

Bruixe whipped up a hand, intending to send a bolt of twilight magic at the Councilor, but what came out was something darker, like her magic before she'd become a Nobody. She didn't expect it, and the blast flew harmlessly out of her control, past Isalena, dissipating into the trees.

"Oh, my," Isalena said. "What is that? Certainly nothing I've seen before."

So the darkness had settled into her again – so what? It was powerful, and Bruixe could use it. She flung her hand up again, taking better aim this time, but Isalena was ready, and held out a hand. Bruixe's magic seemed to hit an invisible wall, curling back in on itself, condensing into a compact ball in the Councilor's palm.

Isalena's eyes flicked over to Hanna and Ren, and Bruixe realized what it meant with no time to spare – she threw herself in front of her friends as Isalena unleashed the dark magic, and Bruixe was caught in its path, defenseless as she tried to protect the sisters. She crashed to the ground, pain crackling through her body like electricity.

"Bruixe…?" she heard Hanna mumble.

"Get out," Bruixe panted. "Run."

Then Isalena was over her, Fallen Angel in hand, looking down at Bruixe.

"Too slow, Bruixe, darling," she said, and stabbed Bruixe through the heart.

* * *

Somehow, she'd thought death would feel… different.

But then, what had she expected? A dark-user turned Nobody, who regained her heart – and had it broken. She was one-of-a-kind, alone. She knew Axel and Demyx had ended up in the 'realm of the dead'. But could she really place herself in that same category?

Here, (if you could call it 'here' – that implied 'somewhere,' and was this really a 'place'?) beyond time, beyond existence, it was as if her thoughts were floating, no longer held back by physical limits. The anger and hate that had so overwhelmed her before (in life?) hadn't faded, not exactly, but she was able to see past them now, to the feat and the sorrow and the grief.

It occurred to her that she had become dark.

As soon as she had thought this, a sense of foreboding stole over her. She must still have a body of sorts, because now she was shaking, but not from cold. From fear. Anticipation.

A voice came to her.

You have been judged.

Terrible and wondrous at the same time, harsh and yet gentle – a voice with all the authority of the universe.

You have killed.  
You have lied.  
You have stolen, cheated, and betrayed.  
Because of you, many have suffered.  
Because of you,  
an entire world lies on the brink of destruction.

It was true, she knew. She wanted to shout, 'I'm sorry!' but she couldn't, couldn't even make a sound. Despair, regret, remorse, poured from her to join her anger, hate, grief.

This was it, then. She had been tried, and found guilty. What was the punishment, she wondered? Was there a hell?

However.

Surprising that a single word could be so meaningful. A new emotion: hope. When was the last time she had felt that?

Although your actions condemn you,  
your intentions were pure.  
You act always in the best interests of those you care for,  
regardless of the consequences.  
There can be no nobler existence.  
There can be no greater love.

Because of this,  
you are forgiven.

Relief, gratitude, joy. Could one person really feel all this and not burst? One more: curiosity. What would happen now? As if in answer, the voice spoke again.

All things happen for a reason.  
In the same way,  
all people, all creatures, are born with a purpose.  
Your purpose has not yet been fulfilled.  
I am not finished with you. Yet.  
It is not your time.

In the edges of this non-reality, this non-existence, there was suddenly a shift, as if the far reaches of herself, that had drifted away into non-space, were being pulled back to her, summoned by an unseen force.

You do not belong here.  
Go.  
Do not fail.  
Never falter.  
And take hope –  
You are stronger than you know.

A sudden return to reality, to her senses. Touch – cold air, the weight of fabric, a hard surface below her. Sound – the echoes of a vast, open space.

She had been sent here by the voice? Somehow, she knew this to be true. Beyond doubt.

But where was 'here', exactly?

Bruixe opened her eyes.

* * *

**what happens next? well, wouldn't ****you**** like to know.**

**and no, this isn't the end.**

**review, please. thanks for reading.**


	21. Lost and Found

Hey, everyone. Yes, it's been a while. Sorry. Really. I mean, it was not my intention to go two frickin' months without updating. It just… happened.

Anyway, there's a voice-actor joke in this chapter, so make sure you know who's who. No, I'm not going to tell you, because that'll spoil the fun.

Also, if you didn't read Silver Eyes, shame on you. There's a little reference to it in this chapter. If you don't remember, go read Chapter 16 (Mysteries). It was epic. (If I do say so myself. And I do.)

* * *

_I don't remember these things  
__So, would you teach them to me?  
__What does God look like?  
__And angels' wings?  
__And when you lie down to sleep  
__I'll__ protect __you  
__From demons of the night  
_-Stone Temple Pilots, "A Song for Sleeping"

* * *

Bruixe opened her eyes to a cloudy night sky, grey and black, devoid of stars.

She pushed herself up off the ground, forgetting for a second that her arm was injured, but there was no protest of pain – she looked down at her right arm, and there where her wound used to be was only a faded scar, as if it had been months since she was cut and not days.

With sudden shocking remembrance, her hand flew to her chest. Isalena had stabbed her – straight through the heart. She should have died.

_I __did__ die, _she thought.

There was a scar here, too, irregular, almost star-shaped, but no pain whatsoever. Her shirt wasn't even torn from the former Councilor's Keyblade. As good as new.

Bruixe stood up, looking around. This was no place she recognized. The ground was silvery-white, almost like snow, but it was not cold here. Ahead of her, a single pathway stretched out, leading up over a grey hill.

_Where the hell am I?_

She walked warily along the path until she came to a white door at the crest of the hill, out of place in this barren grey field. She tugged at the handle. The door was heavier than she expected it to be, and bright light streamed through.

Disoriented, she had to blink several times before she could see again. The scenery had changed – now she was in a long, white hall, with raised platforms all around, like bowers.

A figure rested on a dais far down the hall, and before Bruixe knew what she was doing, she was racing down the hall at full speed, feet pounding against the hard white floor, echoing around her like the footsteps of a giant.

She'd have recognized that silver hair anywhere.

Then her head caught up with her heart, and with the return of logic came the devastating realization. Riku was dead.

She looked down at his lifeless form, her horror-vision all over again. But this time it was real, and not an illusion conjured by Isalena's Keyblade. Riku's skin was white as snow, and just as cold. His eyes were closed as if in sleep, but Bruixe knew better.

She collapsed to her knees, wishing she had tears left to cry, but seeing him here, like this, seemed to be the closure she'd never had. She stroked the side of his still face, fingers brushing over his cheekbone, his jaw.

"Riku," she whispered.

His eyes snapped open.

The shock froze her in place, and she couldn't even blink as she registered the dark orange color of his eyes. "Riku?" she squeaked, and all of a sudden she was thrown backwards, her head cracking against the neighboring dais, Riku's Keyblade at her throat.

"Who are you?" he demanded, one knee pressed into her abdomen, pinning her to the ground. Stars winked in and out of existence in front of her eyes, her head throbbing. Something sticky coated her hair and skin where her head had hit stone. Blood.

"I – what are you talking about?" she managed, conflicting emotions racing through her like lightning. Boundless joy – Riku was alive. But also fear. "It's me!"

"I said who the hell are you?" he growled.

"B – Bruixe," she said, still confused. "Riku, what's going on –"

"How do you know my name?"

For some reason, he couldn't remember her. Well, that was okay. She'd take an amnesiac Riku over a dead one any day.

"Because I –" _love you,_Bruixe started to say, but judging by the fact that his blade was still pressed against her throat, she changed her mind. "I know you. I've known you for almost a year and a half now. I guess you don't remember, but you – I – we're friends."

"That's a good one," Riku said scornfully. "Clever. You Heartless are getting smarter, is that it?"

"Heartless?" she said, confused. "I don't understand –"

"The hell you don't," he spat. "Don't try to fool me with your lies. If you weren't a Heartless, you couldn't be in the realm of darkness."

_The realm of darkness?!_

Bruixe peered up at Riku's eerie orange eyes and murderous expression, and suddenly things began to fall into place. Sora had said Rondot killed Riku with the darkness. But Riku could never fall to the darkness, she realized it now.

This must be the Riku she'd never known, the Riku who wore the darkness and didn't care who he hurt. The ruthless, coldblooded Riku that would fight his own best friend for the darkness.

But she knew from Sora's experience that her Riku must still be in there somewhere.

"If I were a Heartless," she pointed out, "would I be bleeding?"

He seemed taken aback by that, and his eyes flickered to the stone behind her. "Human?" he muttered. "But how…"

"You're human, and you're here," Bruixe told him.

The pressure pinning her to the ground vanished as Riku backed away, and she sat up gingerly, rubbing the back of her head.

"And I'm just supposed to take your word for it, that we're friends?" he scoffed. "Prove it."

"Your best friend's name is Sora," Bruixe said. "You grew up with him, in Destiny Islands. You live there with your friend Kairi, and you always wanted to see other worlds, and the three of you built a raft to try and leave the islands. You did all the work. You liked Kairi, but Kairi always loved Sora more than you. You were so angry that the darkness came to you, and destroyed your world. You spent a year – two years – repairing the damage. You were possessed by a man who called himself Ansem. But you beat him, with the help of King Mickey, and now you can wield the darkness without losing control."

Doubt flickered in Riku's eyes.

"You embraced the darkness even though it meant having to become Ansem, because you wanted to protect Sora. When you learned that he needed his Nobody to be whole, you went after Roxas without even giving it a second thought," she went on.

Something occured to her, a few pieces of the past that seemed to fall into place.

"On the fourth day after you put Roxas in a virtual world, you fought a member of the Organization on the roof of a building above the square. She was faster than you, but smaller. You knocked her off the edge of the roof - but you couldn't let her die. You pulled her back up at the last second."

He blinked. Bruixe took his moment of hesitation to stand, reaching up to hold his face between her hands. He flinched, but didn't pull away.

"Riku," she whispered. "It's me. It's Bruixe. The darkness is making you forget, but… you can fight it. I can help you. Come back to me."

"I –" he began, but his sentence trailed off as Bruixe called the darkness to her, coaxing it out of Riku and into her, its energy surging through her arms. Riku's eyes lost focus, glazing over as the irises faded from orange to aquamarine.

Bruixe held her ground until she couldn't take the darkness anymore, and finally broke away, sinking into a sitting position on the dais behind her, head swimming.

"Bruixe?" Riku whispered.

She looked up at him, and there in his eyes was the old Riku, the one she loved, the one who had helped her through everything. She was glad she'd finally been the one to do the helping. "Hey," she said, and realized that she was crying.

"Wh-What's wrong?" he asked, immediately sitting by her side.

She shook her head and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder as the tears exhausted themselves in his shirt. "You asshole," she choked.

"Now, that's not nice," Riku told her. "What did I do?"

"You died," she answered.

He laughed. "Do I look dead to you?"

She shook her head.

"That story, about me fighting the Organization member. That... that was you?"

Bruixe smiled. "I just figured it out. They sent me and Axel together. After you saved me, they wouldn't let me go back in. They said I'd be compromised."

"Would you have?" Riku asked.

"Probably," she admitted.

He touched the back of her head with gentle fingers, examining the wound he'd given her.

"Sorry," he apologized. "I didn't… I didn't recognize you."

"Yeah, I noticed," she said.

Riku shivered involuntarily, and Bruixe pulled away to examine his face. "What's wrong?"

"I didn't recognize you," he repeated. "I hurt you. I would've killed you."

"But you didn't," Bruixe pointed out.

"I lost control," he said. "The darkness… wait. How long have I been here? Sora and I fought Rondot, and then – wait! Sora! Is he okay?"

"One thing at a time," she chuckled. "Sora is fine… I think. Actually, I don't really know – I've been out of the loop, too."

As best as she could, she told him what had happened since the fight with Rondot – how she and Sora had escaped Isalena, how the Councilor now had the power to create even more Chasers, how Ren had tried to go back to the Room of Awakening, and finally, how Bruixe had heard a mysterious voice that had sent her here.

"I went a little nuts," she admitted. "I thought I'd lost you."

"You're not one to talk," Riku told her. "You're the one that went and died."

He pulled the collar of her vest aside to brush his fingers along her newest scar. "That's quite a scratch."

"Mm-hm," she agreed.

"Did it hurt?"

Bruixe considered this. "Um… I don't really remember."

"That's good," Riku murmured, sliding his hand up to cup her chin as he kissed her, long and slow.

"I'm glad you're not dead," Bruixe told him. _Understatement of the century._

"Me, too," he agreed. "Come on, let's go. We have a maniacal ex-Councilor to kill."

"Hear, hear," she said darkly.

Hanna ducked a swing and reacted automatically, plunging her shortsword up to its hilt in a Chaser. As it screeched its death, she was knocked off her feet by another, and the sword flew out of her hand.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid!_ she berated herself. _Never drop your guard! Never let go of your weapon!_

Before the second Chaser could take advantage of her failure, Sora was in the way, decapitating the monster with a single slash of his Keyblade.

"Thanks," she panted, retrieveing her sword.

Sora didn't answer, leaping past her to engage another Chaser. _Just how many of them are there?_ Hanna wondered, panicky.

She and Sora had come alone because they'd been told there were five Chasers outside the Wind Gate. But clearly it had been a trap, because there were way more than five Chasers here.

"Sora, there's too many, we've got to go back," she yelled.

"Like hell," he replied between parries. "I'm not giving up. You go back if you want."

Hanna scowled and fought her way to his side. "You idiot," she told him, "you promised Bruixe you'd take care of yourself."

"I am," he argued.

As if on cue, three Chasers leapt at Sora together, sending him tumbling to the ground. Hanna cursed and threw herself in front of him, but she wasn't the warrior Sora was, and three opponents were too many for her – one managed to clamp its jaws around her left wrist, and she shrieked as she felt the bone crunch.

A silver blur came flying out of nowhere, and then it was the Chaser who was screaming. Hanna looked up in time to see a second blur catch the second Chaser in the shoulder.

"Need some help?" said a familiar voice.

Bruixe walked calmly to the spot were the Chasers had vanished and retrieved her kodachis, smirking. Half a step behind her was Riku, unmistakable even though Hanna'd only met him once, for about five minutes as they fled Isalena's manor.

"You should know better than to attack when you're outnumbered," Bruixe went on.

"You hypocrite," Riku retorted, not unkindly.

It was like a vision from a dream, but somehow Hanna instinctively knew it was real. The two of them stood there like they'd never been gone, tall and proud, the heroes the Eternal Kingdom had embraced and mourned.

"Holy shit," Sora gasped, pushing himself off the ground. "I see dead people."

**now don't tell me I don't take care of my characters.**

**besides, I couldn't leave Riku dead, I wuv him too much. :)**

**review? pls?**


	22. Never Been Better or Famous Last Words

Hello all. I know this is a filler chapter, but it is important, so DON'T SKIM! There's a lot of politics in here, so I'm going to give you a quick review of the Council of Nine. Keep a list, I know I have to.

Danthus – dead, killed by Isalena (duh.)  
Isalena – do I really need to explain this one?  
Garrison – my personal favorite, Bruixe's foster father.  
Rondot – dead, killed by Sora (with a little help from poor Riku)  
Velkin – a supporter of Isalena and the bad guy who tortured Bruixe :(  
Nester –another supporter of Isalena  
Aeson \  
Laurene - three very good friends, and supporters of Danthus and Garrison.  
Striask /

Hope that helps. Enjoy.

* * *

_She's glad for one day of comfort  
__Only because she has suffered  
__Here she stands today  
__In her brilliant shining way  
__Fully alive, more than most  
__Ready to smile and love life  
__Fully alive  
_-Flyleaf, "Fully Alive"

* * *

Their welcome back at Garrison's home was unlike any other.

Sora and Hanna stumbled in the door first, exhausted, dirt-streaked, but unhurt. Kairi and Ren were on them almost immediately, smothering the two in hugs.

"Not now," Hanna told her sister. "You're gonna want your hands free for this."

"What?" Ren asked.

"Hey, chica," Bruixe called from the doorway.

Ren's eyes lit up as if all the light of Kingdom Hearts was behind them. "Bruixe?" she choked, lunging forward to wrap her thin arms around the bigger girl's waist. "You – you're alive! You're okay!"

"More than just okay," Bruixe said, returning the hug. "Never been better."

"I watched you die," Ren mumbled into Bruixe's shoulder. "I – I saw it."

"I know," Bruixe replied softly. "I'm sorry you had to see that."

"How?" Ren demanded.

"I – I don't really know," Bruixe admitted. "But I'm back."

"Hey, I'm alive too," Riku pointed out.

Kairi and Sora crushed him into a bear hug. "Don't ever scare us like that again," Kairi ordered.

"No promises there," he told his friends. "Scaring people is what I do."

"That's not even funny, man," Sora said, punching him in the shoulder.

"I thought you left me," Ren said, still sobbing into Bruixe's shoulder. "Everyone does. Mom… Dad… only Hanna stayed."

"Hey, I'm still here," Bruixe reassured her.

"You were dead," Hanna whispered, "but you came back. Does that mean… can Captain Terra…?"

Bruixe released Ren but kept one arm around the smaller girl's shoulder. "I don't know," she said truthfully. "I…"

"His battle was already over," Riku answered for her. "Long ago. This – what's happening now – this is our fight. Terra's was done – should have been done – when Xehanort the Cruel fell. He fulfilled his duty here. He deserves his peace, now. Bruixe… Bruixe's fight wasn't finished yet."

Hanna nodded sadly.

"Sorry," Bruixe said.

"It's not your fault," Hanna told her.

Sora cleared his throat. "Well, someone had better go tell Garrison you're all alive," he said.

"I'll do it," Bruixe said.

* * *

She found Garrison in his private study, bent over a sheaf of paper. Unsure of what to say, she settled for, "Hey."

Garrison looked up, and the lines seemed to disappear from his face. For a moment, he was once again her foster father, not the aged general he had become.

"Bruixe," he whispered, and stood, and it was like being a kid again, and she stumbled forward and into his arms, the father she'd never really had.

"Sorry I worried you," she told him.

"You'll be the death of me," he agreed.

Bruixe pulled away and looked at the floor. "Not just… about dying, and coming back. But before… I know I was… different. Not in a good way."

"I must apologize as well," Garrison replied. "It was unfair of me to ask you to fight, when your heart was broken as it was."

Bruixe shook her head. "I understand. You needed me."

"Not only that," the Councilor continued. "When you were young, I… was not always there for you as I should have been. Perhaps if I had been, things might have been different."

"I never faulted you," she whispered. "And… I'm happy now. Even though sometimes life was hard… I wouldn't change it for the world. It's made me who I am. And I've met a lot of people, people I might not have."

"You've made some wonderful friends," Garrison agreed.

"Understatement," Bruixe told him.

"Well, since you are back, it is high time we regrouped," Garrison said. "Bring everyone to the parlor. There is much to discuss."

* * *

Within minutes everyone had assembled in the parlor. Bruixe and Riku were crammed in the middle of one sofa, Ren and Kairi on either side of them. Sora sat on the armrest next to Kairi, and Hanna was seated on the floor, her head against Ren's knees. If the other soldiers in the room found their arrangement odd, no one mentioned it.

"Thank you all for coming on such short notice," Garrison began as the room quieted. "We have little time, so on to business. Several events have come to my attention that demand explanation. Lieutenant Hanna, if you would give us an account of your encounter with Lady Isalena, beginning with the reason for your departure?"

"Of course, sir," Hanna said, standing and clasping her hands behind her back in a relaxed attention stance. Always the soldier, Bruixe noted, although even on her feet, she barely topped the heads of their seated comrades. Bruixe stifled a giggle.

"Two days ago, I had been looking for my sister when Bruixe came in from her… watch over the forest," Hanna said, carefully not mentioning Bruixe' previous brooding mood. "Bruixe informed me that she had spoken with Ren some hours ago, yet Ren had not returned to the manor. We had reason to believe that she may have gone out on her own, to the ruins of Xehanort the Cruel's manor."

Ren shifted uncomfortably in her seat, and Bruixe moved the hand that wasn't wrapped around Riku's waist to pat her friend's hand in reassurance.

"Bruixe and I set out to track her down," Hanna continued. "We caught up to her not a mile from Xehanort's mansion. We were going to come back… but we were ambushed by the former Councilor Isalena and a regiment of Chasers. She was armed with Bruixe's Keyblade, the Fallen Angel, which possesses the power to create new Chasers. This is no doubt the reason behind the great numbers of Chasers we have seen of late, numbers beyond what Bruixe had created while imprisoned.

"Lady Isalena stepped forward to fight us herself, leaving her Chasers to ensure that we would not escape. I… I engaged the Councilor, against Bruixe's wishes. I was… soundly defeated. Bruixe engaged the Councilor to protect Ren and I. And… Isalena defeated her, as well. She… she stabbed Bruixe. Through the heart."

Whispers broke out through the room.

"I cannot explain it," Hanna said. "But I watched it. I watched Bruixe… die." Her voice faltered, and she fell silent.

"Bruixe?" Garrison requested. "Have you an answer to this quandary?"

Reluctantly Bruixe stood, sliding out from under Riku's arm thrown around her shoulders. "I do," she replied simply. "But… I have to warn you all, a lot of this story doesn't make sense, even to me, and it does sound very far-fetched. I'd like everyone to keep an open mind, please, and remember the facts: I died. I… I know this to be true. Hanna and Ren tell me that they saw it. And yet here I stand."

With that said, she launched into her story, beginning where Hanna had left off, with the blackness caused by Fallen Angel plunging into her chest. Those behind her on the sofa leaned forward unconsciously. She had refused to tell any of them before now, not wanting to repeat the story more than once, so only Riku had ever heard the full version.

She left out the mysterious voice's exact words, wanting to keep that memory private. She told her comrades only that it had charged her with 'unfinished business' and sent her back to the realm of the living. Its words of love and strength she kept to herself.

When Bruixe had finished, her listeners sat in stunned silence, no one able to speak or move. Feeling awkward, she nodded to Garrison and took her seat. Riku settled his arm around her shoulders again.

"Thank you," Garrison said finally, and whispers broke out again. Though Bruixe didn't catch all of the talk, she did hear the words 'goddess' and 'immortal'. She chuckled to herself.

"Funny?" Riku muttered.

Bruixe nodded, lowering her voice so only he would hear. "Me, a goddess. Stupid."

"Let them talk," he whispered back.

"I also have news to report," Garrison announced, "since many of you do not know of what else occurred on that night. I do not know how else to say this, so I will do it bluntly, with your pardon. Councilors Aeson and Striask are dead."

Gasps went up across the room.

"It is my belief that Isalena was in fact setting out to destroy the Councilors when she encountered our ladies." Bruixe rolled her eyes at being called 'lady'. "Shortly after Lieutenant Hanna and Miss Ren returned to the city, I received the reports. My contacts in the Councilors' homes inform me that the two were killed in similar manner to General Danthus. One of them actually encountered Lady Isalena. Private Aylen, please step forward."

A soldier whose head was swathed in bandages, covering his left eye, stood.

"Please tell everyone what you told me," Garrison requested, not unkindly.

"Sir," Aylen replied. "I… I was running an errand for Lord Striask, and when I returned… _she_ was there, that ice-witch of a Councilor, and Lord Striask was… he was – pinned, sir, to the wall. With a great rapier through his heart. I… I couldn't help myself, sir, and I cried out, and _she_ turned and saw me. It's true what the lieutenant says, she has Lady Bruixe's old Keyblade, and she came at me, and I couldn't move, sir, it was like being frozen, I was so scared. _She_ gave me this – " he gestured to his wounded face – "and I thought I was going to die, but she told me, she said, 'Tell Garrison that I will not stop here.' She said she was coming after all the Councilors, sir, and then she let me go. Soon as I could walk, I came straight here."

"Thank you," Garrison said, and Aylen took his seat, clearly shaken.

Garrison cleared his throat and resumed speaking. "The Council of Nine met last evening – or shall I say the Council of Four, with the recent occurrences. Both Councilors Velkin and Nester – longtime allies of Lady Isalena, if you will remember – have agreed to surrender command of their armies to the Eternal Watch, and have resigned their positions as Councilors. This leaves only two Councilors in charge of the Eternal Kingdom – myself and Lady Laurene, who is in quite the state of shock. Lords Aeson and Striask were very dear friends of hers, if you will recall. Therefore it falls to me to ensure the safekeeping of the Eternal Kingdom.

"I fear the government of the Eternal Kingdom may not recover from such a devastating blow," he continued. "If the current method of government is to continue, seven Councilors must be replaced. Such a thing is unprecedented in all of the Eternal Kingdom's history, and would no doubt cause panic among the citizens of Kingdom City. Lady Laurene and I shall do our best to come up with a resolution to this crisis, but until then, I must ask you all to keep this information in confidence, and not breathe a word of what has been said in this room to any not present."

"Sir," chorused the Watch.

"That said," Garrison finished, "it seems we are in need of a plan of action. Lady Isalena must be defeated, not only for the good of this world but many others."

_Think_, Bruixe told herself. _She's got to have a weakness._

Within seconds the answer presented itself to her.

"Lord Garrison," she said, standing. "With your permission… I have an idea."

* * *

**oh buddy! she's got a plan! brace yourselves!**

**mwahaha. I know what it is… and you don't… not even you, Lauren…**

**review pls.**


	23. Confession, Discovery

For the record, YES, I KNOW. Nothing important happens in this chapter. But if you'll remember, 20 chapters ago (yes, it's been awhile) I introduced this whole thing with Bruixe and these dreams about her dead friends, and she wouldn't tell Riku, and he was worried. But then I never resolved it.

To my credit, I did intend to put actual plot movement in this chapter, but it just got too long. Besides, I LIKE fluff. Get over it. Enjoy.

* * *

_You are the light  
__That's leading me  
__To the place where I find peace again  
__You calm the storms  
__And you give me rest  
__You hold me in your hands  
__You won't let me fall  
__Could you tell me  
__How could it be any better than this?  
_-Lifehouse, "Everything"

* * *

It took Bruixe hours to fall asleep that night, hours of staring at the white, white ceiling and counting Nobodies, measuring her breathing in an effort to quiet her thoughts. And then, when she finally did fall asleep, it was a restless sleep, plauged with dreams of times past.

She was sixteen, and had been sure she was going to spend the rest of her short life chained in Velkin's prison.

_Chains around her wrists, around her ankles, around her neck. So cold in this godforsaken dungeon… how long had she been in here? Days? Months? Years? It felt like eternity… there was no end to the cold, the unbearable quiet, the relentless pain…_

_Garrison's voice floated to her in the caverns of her mind._

"_I can't help you any more."_

The scene changed, to the white rooms of the Castle That Never Was.

_The full implication of what they were doing struck Bruixe then. "What if they know you helped me?" she whispered._

_Demyx shrugged. "Doesn't matter," he said. "They won't kill me, I'm not worth it to them."_

"_Nobodies don't have feelings," Bruixe mused. "Why are you doing this? You don't have to get yourself in trouble… but you __care__. Why?"_

_He gave her a wistful look. "Because," he said. "I don't want my best friend to get hurt. Even if it means I'll never see her again."_

_For the first time Bruixe could remember, she was absolutely speechless._

"'_Bye, Bruixe," Demyx said, and then he was gone._

Then to her childhood, when Terra had been her only friend, her caretaker.

"_Peace, Changeling," Terra said softly. "You'll find your place, too. A great peril is coming, one that only your generation can stand against. Don't think you have no place among them, Changeling. I have seen your heart, and I speak the truth when I say that yours is among the strongest of them all. The people may not accept you," he said, "but it will only make you stronger, and you will be the only one that can save them."_

Another scene change, to her hidden cave in the McClain Mountains.

"_You're not leaving me behind."_

_Bruixe held her friend's gaze without flinching. "Yes I am. You're hurt. Don't argue with me, you won't win."_

_Axel kicked the wall angrily. "And what if you don't come back?" he demanded. "What if something happens? I won't just sit here and watch you walk away. It's just that… I get this feeling that if you walk out of here… I'll never see you again."_

The people Bruixe cared about had always tended to wind up dead.

* * *

Riku sprawled in the armchair in one corner of his room, figuring it was pretty pointless to lay in bed, seeing as which he wasn't going to be able to sleep anyway. His conversation with Garrison kept playing through his head. He'd approached the Councilor after the rest of the group had dispersed.

"You're worried about her, aren't you?" he'd asked.

The older man fixed him with a sharp look. "You must be, as well."

Riku shrugged. "Yeah. But the look on your face while she was talking… you don't like her plan."

"It's brilliant," Garrison said.

"But…?" Riku pressed.

The Councilor's brow furrowed. "It will be very dangerous. And… if I know Bruixe, she hasn't told us everything."

"What do you mean?"

"You know her just as well as I do," Garrison said. "Better, even. You know she doesn't like to involve others. And she claims that she will fight alongside you and Sora… but I fear she will try to engage Lady Isalena on her own."

Riku snorted. "Yeah, Bruixe is a martyr. But she's not stupid. She knows she's no match for Isalena alone. I mean, she and I and Terra fought that witch, and – well, you know how that turned out. Without the rest of us, Bruixe can't win. She knows that. She has to."

Garrison frowned. "I hope you are right."

Now, thinking back on the conversation, Riku wondered if the Councilor hadn't been right.

If Bruixe left now, it could be hours before everyone realized she was gone.

He slipped out the door and stole down the hall as quickly as he could without making too much noise, stopping at Bruixe's door. It opened without squeaking, a small miracle, and he slipped inside, listening.

Bruixe's breathing was accelerated and uneven, but at least she was in her bed where she belonged. He moved closer. Even in the dark, he could tell that her eyelids were fluttering, and her hands were clenched. She was having a nightmare.

"Nn… no," she muttered, still asleep. "Terra… Axel… Axel, no…"

Riku didn't know what made him do it, but it would have been wrong not to. He lay down on the bed next to Bruixe, draping one arm around her waist, sliding the other underneath her head as a pillow. "Sshhh," he whispered, kissing the back of her head.

Gradually her shuddering slowed, her breathing evened, as whatever nightmare she'd been having faded. He drew her closer against his chest, burying his face in her hair.

Holding Bruixe had always made him feel less dark.

* * *

Bruixe woke to the unmistakable realization that someone was in her room.

Her first instinct was to jerk upright and grab a weapon, but something was pinning her down. After a moment she realized what it was, and calmed down, if only a little.

"Riku?" she hissed.

"Good morning to you, too," he murmured.

"What are you doing in my room?" she asked, disoriented.

Riku poked her in the ribs. "Making sure you don't run off to fight on your own."

"Hey, I may be a martyr, but I'm not stupid," she retorted. Riku laughed. "Funny?"

"Nothing," he said.

"That doesn't explain why you're in my bed," Bruixe pointed out.

"Do I need a reason?" he wondered.

She rolled over and glared at him. "Yes."

He pretended to flinch, then raised an eyebrow. "You were having a nightmare."

_Oh. That._

The details of her dream came back to her, and she bit her lip.

"You talk in your sleep," he went on. "You said Terra's name. And Axel's. Now, what's a guy supposed to think, when he walks into his girlfriend's room and she's whispering some other guy's name? I mean, really."

Bruixe scowled and shoved, hard. Riku sprawled off the edge of the bed and crashed to the floor.

"Now, that was uncalled for," he muttered. "And you still didn't answer my question."

"Oh, did you ask a question?" Bruixe said sarcastically. "I don't speak jealousy."

Riku got up and sat on the bed again. "Seriously. What were you dreaming about?"

Bruixe sighed. "Demyx. And Terra. And Axel. They… they all died. And… and it was my fault… I…"

"Haven't we had this conversation before?" Riku pointed out.

"Hey, you're the one that asked," Bruixe retorted.

"You said Axel's name, like, six times," he said. "Why's that?"

"Probably because… well, I mean, Terra, I never got to say goodbye to, but I never argued with him. I mean, he knew I cared about him." she admitted. "With Axel, I did – get to say goodbye, I mean – but I was mad at him, so… I don't know, we just didn't end on good terms."

"What was so bad about it?" Riku wanted to know.

Bruixe didn't say anything. _How am I supposed to say something like that?_

Riku seemed to guess the reason for her silence. "You loved him."

"No!" Bruixe exploded. "Of course not – I mean, come on, I was a Nobody. Nobodies don't love, they don't have hearts. Well, unless you count me and you, but you had my heart anyway, so it doesn't count."

"But you… you still had…" Riku paused awkwardly. "Um… instincts. Wants."

"I never felt anything for Axel," Bruixe said adamantly. "Besides friendship."

She'd never been good at hiding things, and Riku caught on. "But…"

Bruixe set her jaw stubbornly.

"Come on, you can tell me," Riku pressed.

"He showed some… interest," Bruixe admitted. "I made it very clear that I did not share that interest."

"How clear?" Riku wanted to know.

"I threw the guy off a tower," Bruixe said bluntly.

"Pretty clear, then," Riku said.

"Uh, yeah," she replied.

"And why were you mad at him when you… said goodbye?" he wanted to know.

Bruixe fiddled with one corner of the bedsheet. "It was right after I'd busted him out of the castle dungeons. Saix had tortured him – it was awful – and he was hurt, bad. When I made up my mind to go back for Demyx, Axel wanted to come, but I… I made him stay, because he was only going to slow me down. He wasn't happy about it. I think… I think he knew that I wasn't going to make it. And I… I knew my chances weren't good, and… ugh…"

"And?" Riku pressed?

Bruixe buried her face in the pillow.

"You kissed him," Riku concluded.

"He kissed me," she mumbled into the pillowcase.

"And that's why you were mad?"

"I told him I'd break his face if I ever saw him again," Bruixe admitted guiltily.

Riku laughed.

Bruixe risked a peek at his face. "You're not mad?"

"Why would I be?" he told her. "That was a long time ago – what, over a year? Besides, I didn't know you then. Well, not well. I knew you were a Nobody – but I didn't know it was you. So I wasn't your first kiss, big deal."

"Was I yours?" she suddenly wanted to know.

Riku hesitated.

"See, it's not easy to talk about," Bruixe teased. "Come on, spit it out. Who was it?"

"Namine," he said finally.

Bruixe's eyes nearly bugged out of her head. "For real?"

"For real," Riku replied.

"Now I've got to hear the story behind this one," she prodded.

He sighed. "I… well… after Sora went to sleep, to get his memories back… she was the only friend I had, and… I was, I don't know, lonely. And I'd always… jeez, this is weird," he muttered. "I don't know, I kind of had this thing for Kairi, even after she and Sora hooked up –"

"What?!" Bruixe spluttered.

"Had!" Riku repeated. "Past tense! Anyway, I knew we could never… you know. But Namine, she was different, and… she was like Kairi, but she was quieter, and sweeter. And always… sad. For a year, besides DiZ, she was the only person I ever saw. And she was the only one I could talk to. And, I don't know, we just…"

"Hooked up?" Bruixe guessed.

"Not exactly," Riku said, "but something like that."

"You've got a thing for Nobodies, huh," she mused.

He laughed awkwardly. "I guess I do."

"So that's how you got to be such a good kisser," Bruixe said, almost to herself.

Riku smirked, but couldn't quite hide the faint red creeping up his face.

"Well, I guess I can't blame you," she decided. "No wonder you didn't want to kill her."

"Sending her away sucked," he agreed. "But it was better than having to… murder her. Besides, I can thing of a couple things that sucked more. Like having to chase you all over the Eternal Kingdom, for example."

"Shut up," Bruixe told him.

She looked out the window; the sun was rising, the sky turning orange and pink. "I should get dressed," she said to herself.

Riku stood and turned his back without being asked, fiddling with the random things scattered on top of her dresser.

"No peeking," she ordered as she tugged off her nightshirt and slipped her arms into his vest.

"Is this a blindfold?" he asked.

"If it's a black strip of cloth, then yes," she said. "I got tired of wearing after you… um, not-died. Figured people could get over it."

"Get over what?"

"Ha ha," she mocked. "Very funny."

"No, seriously," he told her. "Get over what?"

"My eyes," she said, now kind of annoyed.

"What about them?"

"Gee, I don't know," she said tiredly, marching over and yanking the blindfold out of his hand, "maybe that they're yellow?"

Riku gave her a 'what-are-you-stupid' look. "No they're not."

"Look, just stop it," Bruixe said. "It's not funny anymore."

"I think I'd notice if your eyes were a different color," he told her, looking around, but there was no mirror in Bruixe's room – she'd made one of the soldiers move it out. He grabbed her by the shoulders and half-dragged her down the hall, into his own room, forcing her to stand in front of his mirror.

"See?" he said.

Bruixe peered at her reflection, shocked. Sure enough, her eyes were their old silver color, eerie but natural. She put a hand to her face in disbelief.

"Well, what do you know," she whispered. "Must've happened when I got sent back…huh."

"Like you were healed, maybe?" Riku wondered aloud.

"Maybe," she agreed. "But then… I wonder why I still have all my scars, then?" She'd amassed quite a collection of them by now – two from Saix, on her cheek and the back of her shoulder; two from Isalena, on her chest and wrist; and one on her thigh that she was pretty sure was leftover from the Chaser War.

"Your scars tell your story," Riku said. "They've made you who you are. But your eyes reflect who you are. I guess yellow just wouldn't work."

"Deep," Bruixe said, poking him in the ribs.

"Enough," Riku told her. "We have a battle to finish, or did you forget?"

"All right," she sighed. "Let's go."

* * *

**aaahhh! it's so long! very long fluff…**

**i won't make you review if you don't want to, but… *smiles sweetly* you ****could****…**


	24. When It's Over, It's Over

Hey all, sorry this update is so late, but I've been working on another fanfic. If you're interested, go read 'Almost Enough.' It's a really sweet, sad oneshot of Riku x Namine. (Inspired by Bruixe and Riku's conversation last chapter.)

Cookies to anyone who knows what 'You're his living legacy' is a reference to.

Anyway, this is the chapter you've all been waiting for…

EPIC BATTLE.

Enjoy. :)

* * *

_If you're afraid to fall  
__You'll never make the climb  
__Stop wasting our time, let's step to the line  
__Like soldiers we fight to the end of our lives  
__We are the fearless ones  
__We are the loaded guns  
__With nothing left to lose  
__We are the reckless youth  
_-Pillar, "Reckless Youth"

* * *

"You ready for this?" Sora asked.

Riku smirked. "I was born ready."

"Don't go getting killed this time," the younger boy teased.

"If I remember, I got 'killed' saving your ass," Riku reminded him.

"If I remember, I was the one busting you out of Crazy Lady's manor," Sora retorted.

Riku snorted. "Your chestplate's on upside down."

"What?"

Riku laughed as his best friend hastily rearranged his armor. To be fair, it wasn't the same set he'd worn last time; he'd managed to grow a few inches and was now wearing Riku's old set.

Riku himself had been given an upgrade.

"No way," he'd said at first, when Garrison showed him the crest on the helm. "I can't."

"You can," the Councilor had assured him. "And you should. You've earned the respect of this entire world. And he would certainly want it."

So Riku had reluctantly donned Terra's armor.

He brushed one bracer reverently, thinking about the sacrifice the Great Liberator had made. He'd died trying to destroy Isalena. The least Riku could do was finish the job.

"We match," Bruixe said, walking up to him.

"Yeah," Riku said, shifting his helm from one arm to the other.

Bruixe smiled wryly. "He would have been proud to see it on you."

"Maybe," Riku replied.

"No, really," Bruixe pressed. "After all, he's the one that entrusted you with the Keyblade. You and Sora both. You're his living legacy."

"You, too," Riku reminded her.

She nodded. "Let's make him proud."

It wasn't long before Kairi, Ren, and Hanna joined them. Bruixe braced an elbow on Hanna's shoulder, using her as an armrest. "Wow, they actually found armor for someone as small as you?" she remarked jokingly.

Hanna scowled. "Don't be ridiculous."

"She had to have it custom-made," Ren whispered conspiratorially.

She and Kairi were dressed in silver armor with a peculiar sheen of blue to it; it threw sparkling light shows whenever the sun hit it. Hanna's armor was standard Watch black, with the triple red stripes of a lieutenant on each arm.

Kairi had been so excited to be allowed to fight that she'd been bouncing on the balls of her feet all morning. Bruixe was glad to see that the excitement had worn off. Now the redhead was twisting her hands around the hilt of her Keyblade, almost anxiously.

"Nervous?" Bruixe guessed.

Kairi looked up, startled. "A little," she admitted. "It's just – I'm not a great fighter like you or Riku or Sora. And I don't have a lot of experience."

Bruixe slung an arm around her shoulders. "Don't sweat it. We wouldn't be letting you go if you didn't deserve to be there. And we need you. You've got magic stronger than any of us – even Sora. And you're the best healer we've got."

"You really think so?" Kairi asked.

"Absolutely," Bruixe promised.

To be honest, Bruixe didn't like the idea of going into battle without her Keyblade. _I'll just have to take it back,_ she told herself. _Screw Isalena._

"Is everyone ready?" Garrison called.

Shouts of "Sir!" went up around the armory.

"Then let us be off!" he ordered.

* * *

"Are you sure this will work?" Hanna whispered.

"Positive," Bruixe said confidently. "I know Isalena. She won't be able to resist the chance to finish this once and for all. Even if she thinks it's a trap, she's to proud to not show."

The six of them peered out over the battlements at the assembled Watch army. Garrison's pride and joy were neatly lined up in ranks and files, every soldier at attention. Bruixe wished she could be down there with them, but for herself and her friends, there were other plans.

"Look," Sora said suddenly, pointing out at the trees.

Sure enough, black figures began to creep out from the treeline, advancing on the Watch army.

"Where's Isalena?" Riku asked.

"She'll be there," Bruixe promised. "She'll have to be here, to watch and command her Chasers. The trick is finding where."

For a long minute the six of them scanned the battlefield and trees without success.

"There," Ren cried at last, pointing into the trees to the west of the armies.

"I don't see anything," Kairi murmured warily.

"She's there, I can see her," Ren insisted.

Bruixe squinted where Ren was pointing, and managed to catch a glimpse of a tall, pale figure in a silver gown sliding between the trees.

"Good call, hawkeye," Bruixe told her. "Let's go."

* * *

Taking a deep breath, Bruixe stepped into the clearing alone.

"Wow, that dress is, like, super-gorgeous," she said casually.

Isalena spun on the spot and froze.

"A little impractical, though," Bruixe continued. "I mean, who wears a dress to watch a war? You must've been pretty confident you weren't gonna get attacked. Guess it sucks to be you."

"You're supposed to be dead," Isalena hissed.

Bruixe laughed mockingly. "Since when do I ever do anything I'm supposed to?"

"It was foolish of you to come alone," the Councilor spat.

"She's not alone."

With a swirl of darkness, Riku materialized out of thin air at Bruixe's shoulder, flanking her.

"Yeah, Bruixe can't do anything without us," Sora agreed, coming out of the trees in a different direction, to Isalena's left. Kairi was a step behind him.

Isalena took an involuntary step backwards, only to be confronted by Hanna and Ren, side by side. "Long time no see, Isalena," Hanna spat vehemently.

For a second nobody moved. Then Isalena let out a long, pealing laugh. "So this is who the Watch sends to do their dirty work? That coward Garrison ought to come face me himself, instead of sending women and children to fight me."

She smiled sardonically. "You fools aren't even worth the trouble of fighting myself."

Isalena raised her left hand, and Fallen Angel snapped into existence.

"Your Chasers aren't going to do you much good," Bruixe growled. "Kairi."

Kairi nodded, and clasped her hands together. A translucent wall formed around the clearing, enclosing the seven inside.

"Looks like you'll have to fight us alone," Ren said sweetly.

Without warning, Isalena was upon the sisters, a Keyblade in each hand. Hanna parried easily, knocking the blades away. Ren skipped backwards and let an arrow fly, but Isalena would not be defeated so easily – she spun to the right, sweeping Hanna's legs out from under her and slashing once, twice, three times, sending her crashing into her little sister.

Sora reached the Councilor next, meeting her Keyblades with two of his own, raining a barrage of blows upon her. Bruixe and Riku move to close her off from Kairi as the redhead ran to Hanna and Ren's aid.

Isalena knocked one of Sora's Keyblades away, but before she could strike Bruixe was in her way, protecting her friend. The force of Fallen Angel against her much smaller knives jarred her wrists and elbows, and she gritted her teeth, wincing.

Then Riku was there, Soul Eater humming as it slashed through the air, catching Isalena's unprotected shoulder. The Councilor snarled and fell back, retreating toward one side of the barrier.

Bruixe stole a glance at Kairi and the sisters. Kairi looked up at her, eyes wide, and shook her head almost imperceptibly. The three of them would no longer be a help in this battle.

"It seems I have underestimated the strength of the Keybearers," Isalena said, voice dangerously low. "So be it."

Fallen Angel disappeared, and Isalena clasped both hands around the hilt of Sekhmet, her first blade. Whispering something inaudible, she thrust the blade into the ground.

A terrible cry rent the air, like the screams of a thousand burning victims. The ground trembled, and the sky went suddenly dark.

"What's she doing?" Riku yelled over the din.

Bruixe shook her head – she'd never seen anything like this before.

The air seemed to press down on them, and the three of them fell to their knees, panting. Then, without warning, the trees around them caught fire, and a wave of pure energy rained down upon them.

Sora dropped both Keyblades, throwing his hands up and yelling something Bruixe couldn't hear. A second barrier formed around them, like a bubble enclosing Kairi, Ren, and Hanna as well.

Sora grunted, trembling with the effort of holding back Isalena's terrible attack. Hairline cracks appeared in the surface of the barrier. _It's not enough,_ Bruixe realized hopelessly. But she couldn't help him – she had no magic that would be of use in a shield.

Then Kairi was on her feet, stumbling towards Sora and bracing her hands against his shoulders, adding her strength to his. Ren dragged her unconscious sister towards them, allowing Sora and Kairi to make the bubble smaller.

Isalena's final wave of magic battered the dome, but the barrier held true. As the energy faded, Sora released the barrier, pitching forward to fall on his face, utterly spent.

Isalena's eyes flashed as Bruixe and Riku emerged unscathed from the bubble. She spoke a harsh syllable, but her power, exhausted, failed her. Instead she summoned her Keyblades back to her and rose again to fight.

This time it was Riku who made the first move. He struck at Isalena with Soul eater, but met with blade rather than flesh. Bruixe launched into a roundhouse kick, catching Isalena in the elbow with the sickening _snap_ of bone. Riku flicked his blade and Fallen Angel skittered across the ground. As Riku pushed forward, keeping Isalena occupied, Bruixe fell back.

"Riku, move!" she shouted, and threw both kodachis simultaneously.

Riku dropped to the ground and Isalena gasped, both knives buried to the hilt in her abdomen. She fell to her knees, clutching at the wounds.

Riku got to his feet and advanced on her fallen enemy, face a mask of fury. He clutched Isalena's face and forced the Councilor to look at him.

"Still think we're not worth the trouble?" he spat.

He raised Soul Eater to strike the final blow, but hesitated.

_He's not a killer,_ Bruixe thought.

_And he shouldn't have to be._

She stepped forward and took Soul Eater from Riku's hand, sweeping it in a low arc. Isalena's body collapsed as her head fell to the ground, completely severed.

Riku looked at her in surprise for a moment, but then he nodded in understanding.

"It's finally over," Bruixe realized.

"Yeah," Riku said. "Let's get out of here."

"Wait," she told him. "There's one more thing."

She retrieved Fallen Angel from where Isalena had dropped it, and raised it high. "Vanish," she whispered, and felt the drain on her energy as the magic of the Keyblade went out, sending the Chasers back to the realm of nothingness.

The hilt fit her hand perfectly, just like always, and she was glad to have it back, shady past or no.

"Now it's over," she whispered.

"Hey, a little help?" Ren called.

Riku had slung Sora's arm over his shoulders, and Kairi was supporting Hanna, but Ren was having difficulty getting up off the ground.

Bruixe trotted over and helped the smaller girl clamber onto her back, carrying her piggyback.

"Can't you do anything on your own?" Bruixe teased.

"You've got no room to talk," Ren retorted playfully.

Together the six of them set back out for Kingdom City.

* * *

**YEAH!**

**review please.**


	25. Those Strong Enough To Bear Them

*claps hands* guess what? I just got a NEW LAPTOP! YAY!

Which means no more getting kicked off the family computer, which means more time to write updates!!!!! Woot!!!!

Once again, I don't own Sora, Riku, or Kairi. I think I created just about everyone else, though. Well, not Terra. Or the Hollow Bastion crew.

Anyway, enjoy.

* * *

_Forgetting all the hurt inside you've learned to hide so well  
__Pretending someone else can come and save me from myself  
__I can't be who you are  
__When my time comes  
__Forget the wrong that I've done  
__Help me leave behind some reason to be missed  
__Don't resent me  
__And when you're feeling empty  
__Keep me in your memories, leave out all the rest  
_-Linkin Park, "Leave Out All The Rest"

* * *

A miracle, the people were calling it.

A bit of an exaggeration, in Bruixe's opinion. It had just been good tactics, that's all. Not even complex. But sometimes it was the simplest idea that was the most effective. Separating Isalena from her Chasers and forcing her to battle six people at once was a simple plan – and yet brilliant.

Of course, the real victory had been in the banishment of the Chasers. The Watch had been losing the battle, outnumbered and outflanked, until suddenly, every one of their enemies had simply _disappeared_. Only a few of them knew the reason for that, and Bruixe had every intention of keeping it that way. She didn't want the attention. In fact, she wanted nothing more than to be left alone – at the moment.

Because in spite of all the victories – Isalena's death, the Chasers' destruction, and the newfound freedom of Kingdom City – there was still one thing terribly wrong.

Sora hadn't woken up.

They'd all expected him to be exhausted. Who wouldn't be, after having held a barrier against the most powerful magical attack anyone had ever seen? Kairi could barely stand, and she had only taken half the beating Sora had.

But it had been days, and Sora still hadn't opened his eyes, or even stirred. The only sign he was even still alive was the slow, shallow rise and fall of his chest.

For the first two days, Kairi had kept vigil by his side, speaking to him in a low, calm voice. She claimed people could still hear you, even if they were in a coma, and sometimes the right voice or the right words could wake them up.

When it became apparent that not even Kairi could wake Sora – and that she hadn't eaten or slept since the battle – Riku finally put his foot down. He'd literally walked into the room, picked up the tiny redhead, carried her to her own bed, and glared at her until she agreed to get some rest.

Since then the three of them had been taking turns staying with Sora, sometimes talking to him, sometimes not.

The trouble was, no one really knew what was wrong with him. "He should have woken up by now," Kairi kept saying, and she and multiple other healers had all pronounced him healthy as an ox – with the minor detail that he'd been unconscious for four days. There was no reason, physically, why he shouldn't be awake.

Bruixe was on the 'graveyard shift', as Garrison called it. Kairi sat with Sora from dawn till dusk, not such a long time in the middle of Eternal Kingdom winter. Riku was on duty from dusk until midnight, and Bruixe woke up at midnight to sit by her friend until dawn, when Kairi would come again.

"You can't stay like this forever," Bruixe whispered on the fourth night.

She'd never been a good liar, even to herself. She'd heard of people who had slept in comas for years, and never woken up again. But it couldn't happen now. This was Sora. She'd seen him conquer impossible odds, bounce back from death's threshold to victory.

"I'm sorry I didn't like you," she said, looking down at his still sleeping face. He was like the brother she'd never had, now. "You really do look like Roxas, you know. Maybe that's why I hated you. You look just like the kindest person I've ever known, but you sure as hell didn't act like him. Of course, that was before I got to know you. You're just as kind as he was. But you're stronger, and more sure of yourself. All the things Roxas always wanted to be. I bet he's pleased, wherever he is."

The door opened behind her; she didn't have to turn to recognize Kairi's soft, delicate footsteps.

"How is he?" the younger girl asked.

Bruixe shrugged. "The same."

She got up and gave her friend a hug, trying to put as much comfort in it as she could. "He'll be alright," Bruixe said. "You'll see."

"Yeah," Kairi whispered. "Thanks, Bruixe."

"No problem," she replied.

* * *

The hallway was quiet. Garrison had ordered everyone to stay away from Sora except for healers and his friends. Bruixe was glad. The last thing they needed were nosy soldiers and admirers to flock to his bedside. And Sora wasn't short on admirers these days. None of them were. Another reason Bruixe was grateful for the privacy.

She knocked lightly on Riku's door. He opened it within seconds. His hair was disheveled, and there were grey circles under his eyes. Bruixe imagined she must look the same, not that she knew. Her practice of avoiding mirrors had stuck, and now it was a habit.

"How are you?" Riku asked her.

She laughed humorlessly. "Your best friend is in a coma, and you're asking me how I am? You need to get your priorities straight."

"Hey, I'm an equal-opportunity worrier," he replied.

She combed her fingers through his hair, trying to fix it. "Don't bother," he said, mussing it again. "It'll sort itself out in an hour or two."

"Did you sleep at all?" she asked.

He gave her a long look. "Stupid question. Did you?"

"Stupider question," Bruixe mocked. She collapsed onto his floor, sitting up against his bed, and he joined her, resting his head on her shoulder.

"Why'd you do it?" he said eventually.

"Do what?" she asked, though she could guess.

"Kill Isalena," Riku answered.

"Someone had to," she pointed out.

"I could have," he whispered. "I should have been able to."

Bruixe shook her head impatiently. "Don't. It's not… weakness, valuing life. It's actually pretty admirable, if you ask me. You shouldn't have to be a killer, Riku. It's not who you are."

"And it's who you are?" Riku asked. "I don't believe that."

She took a deep breath. "I'd killed before. Twice. Both of them… well, I didn't really know either one. But I knew Isalena. And she deserved to die. Someone had to kill her."

"Why you?" he wanted to know.

Bruixe remembered a conversation she'd had long ago, with Terra.

"_Why is this happening to me?" she sobbed._

_Terra put a hand on her shoulder. _"_I'm not a good person to ask that question, Changeling."_

"_It's not fair," Rubie cried. "Everyone hates me, just for existing. And the darkness won't leave me alone. And Velkin just keeps looking for a reason to kill me. Why? What did I do to deserve it?"_

"_You're strong, Changeling," Terra told her. "Strong enough to bear it."_

"Someone once told me that burdens only fall to those strong enough to bear them," she said. "The stronger you are, the heavier your burdens. I had to be the one to kill Isalena because I'm the one that could. Because I'd killed before, and it hadn't destroyed me. I knew I was strong enough to do it. I'm not saying that it was a good thing to do. But it had to be done."

Riku didn't say anything.

"Yeah, you or Sora could have taken Isalena down," Bruixe went on. "But you're the heroes of light. Maybe you weren't always, but you are now. You give people hope. They look at you and see all the things that are good and beautiful in humanity. And then they look at me – and they know me, they know what I've done. I'm not as… light as you. People know that. They expect to see darkness in me. They weren't surprised to hear that I had killed Isalena. But if it were you – people don't want to believe that their heroes are also villains. That good people can do terrible deeds. But terrible people – well, not terrible," she amended, "but… I'm not as pure as you. I can do… awful things, and they won't think any less of me. They might not love me as much as they love their heroes of light. But I can live with that."

Riku nodded slowly. "I just wish it didn't have to happen that way."

"Me too," Bruixe said. "But that's kind of where I fit in our little band of misfits. Sora's the brave one. You're incredibly strong. Kairi's sweet and compassionate. And I'm the one that does what has to be done – even if it's horrifying."

"You have your good traits, too," he pointed out. "You're clever. And insanely loyal. And noble."

"Thanks," she said simply.

The sun was beginning to peek over the trees now, painting the world orange and red and pink.

"I miss the islands," Bruixe said.

Riku looked at her incredulously. "Really?" he asked. "All those times we were in different worlds, and you kept saying how you missed the mountains, and the city. What changed?"

"I don't know," Bruixe admitted. "You crazy islanders are probably rubbing off on me."

"We do that," Riku agreed. He traced the scar on her cheek with his fingertips. "How'd you get that one, again?"

"Saix," she said. "I was breaking Axel out of the dungeon, and he caught me. So I beat him up. But he gave me that."

"Fun," Riku said.

"I've had worse," she replied, shrugging.

"I remember," he told her. "If I remember correctly, the first time I ever saw you, you were bleeding from just about everywhere. And you were covered in sand."

"Not the first time," Bruixe reminded him. "The first time, you threw me off a building."

He grinned. "Oh yeah. And you still liked me, even after all that."

"I couldn't get rid of you," she teased. "You followed me around like a stray puppy."

"I was bored, hanging around the islands all the time." he said offhandedly. "You'd get tired of Sora, too, if you lived with him for fifteen years."

"I'm tired of him already, and I've known him for one," she said.

Riku looked away suddenly.

Bruixe realized too late what she'd said. "Shit. I didn't mean it like that. I'd never – Sora's like a brother to me, too. It was stupid, I shouldn't have –"

"It's alright," he said quietly. There was a long silence, and then Riku said, "Kairi wants to take Sora home."

Bruixe cocked her head to one side in a question.

"She thinks being on the islands might help him wake up," he explained. "You know. Hearing his parents, his other friends. Being at home. They say familiarity helps people in comas wake up."

"Yeah," Bruixe said. "I've heard that, too."

"We've sent messages out to a bunch of his friends from different worlds," Riku continued. "You've met some of them. Leon, and Yuffie, and Aerith, and Cloud and Tifa. People who know him, who care about him. Something has to work." He said it firmly, as if believing in it fiercely enough could make it come true.

"It will work," Bruixe reassured him. "Sora's so strong. He'll beat this. Whatever it is."

"I know," Riku said.

Bruixe sighed. "I wonder what will happen here," she said. "With most of the Council gone. There are only two of them left."

She looked at her hands and thought about what she'd come here to tell him. Finally she turned to look at him.

"Riku," she said. "I have to tell you something."

He met her gaze with grave eyes. "You're staying, aren't you?"

"How did you know?" she asked. "I didn't –"

"You didn't say anything," he answered. "You didn't have to. I know you, Bruixe. This was your home, once, even if it isn't really now. And once you get a problem in your head, you won't let go until you've solved it. Someone's got to put the Eternal Kingdom back together. And if you're not there, you'll never forgive yourself."

"You're right," she said. She'd thought a long time about how to tell him, but of course Riku didn't need telling. He knew her better than anyone. Even herself.

"You know I'd stay with you," he whispered painfully. "If it weren't for Sora."

"I understand," she replied truthfully. "You should go with him. He'll need you more than I will. And it's not like it's goodbye. As soon as the Council is back on its feet, I'll be there, on the islands. With you."

"Or as soon as Sora wakes up, I'll come back," Riku promised.

Bruixe leaned into him, curling against his chest, savoring the warmth of his arms around her, because it couldn't last forever.

"When will you leave?" Bruixe whispered, dreading the answer.

"Tonight," Riku replied reluctantly. "Kairi thinks the sooner the better."

"Won't everyone be surprised, when I'm not with you?" Bruixe wondered aloud.

"They should be used to it," he told her. "You're full of surprises."

She smiled despite herself. "I never manage to surprise you," she pointed out. "Even when I surprise myself, you never even blink."

He chuckled. "I'll give you that," he agreed.

**review please.**


	26. Hoc Opus, Hic Labor Est

We're on a roll, folks. Two updates in a row! Yeah!

Bonus points to anyone who can tell me what the name of this chapter means. :)

Enjoy.

* * *

_Only so many words that we can say  
__Spoken upon long-distance melody  
__This is my hello  
__This is my goodness  
__There's really no way to reach me  
_'_Cause I'm already gone  
__Is there really no way to reach me?  
__Am I already gone?  
_-The Fray, "Vienna"

* * *

Riku lounged in his favorite spot on the paopu tree, staring out at the sea. They'd been back on the islands for a week now, and still there had been no change. Sora slept as soundly as a baby – except, of course, that they couldn't wake him up, no matter what they tried.

The islands were getting crowded, now, with all of Sora's friends from other worlds pouring in. Some of them Riku liked, others he had to admit he didn't. One, a spiky-haired blonde, had tried to kill him the moment he saw Riku. Something about his silver hair. Luckily he'd had friends with him, who managed to explain that Riku was not, in fact, a leftover from the Jenova project. Not that Riku even knew what that was.

When someone walked towards him over the bridge, Riku turned and was relieved to see Mickey instead of one of the others. If he had one more person say, "Oh, so you're that guy Sora was looking for," he was going to punch them in the face.

"How ya doin', buddy?" Mickey asked, hopping up on the tree beside Riku.

"Alright, I guess," Riku shrugged. "Considering my best friend's in a coma."

"And the girl you love's worlds away," Mickey added.

Riku smiled wryly. "Yeah."

"Welp, I know how that is," the king told him.

"I bet," Riku said. "At least I know for sure I'm gonna see her again. You never knew, did you? Anything could have gone wrong, and you'd never come home."

"Guess it's a good thing I had such a good friend to watch my back, huh?" Mickey said.

"Yeah, he was pretty awesome," Riku agreed.

Mickey took something out of his pocket – a bottle with a paper rolled up inside it. But instead of having Mickey's seal as Riku was used to, this one was simply marked with the number '14'.

"Kairi found this on the beach and asked me to bring it to you," Mickey said.

Riku seized the bottle and the letter – Bruixe's letter – and opened it.

_Dear Riku,_

_I hope things are going well. I guess Sora hasn't woken up yet, or you'd be here. I'm really sorry. Hopefully I'll be done here, soon, and I'll be able to come home._

_Things are starting to fall back into place here in Kingdom City. We're still taking care of the last of the wounded, but most of the soldiers have gone home. There's nothing left to fear for them now – knock on wood. _

_You wouldn't believe what happened today. Everyone old enough in Kingdom City – every man, every woman, rich or poor – gathered in the big square outside the Temple of Heroes. You should have seen it – the place was packed. Remember Councilor Laurene? The one whose Councilor friends were murdered, and she was really upset? She got up and gave a speech about how Kingdom City needed new leadership and new guidance. And then she proposed that instead of electing an entire Council, they elect a single person to make decisions, with advisers and everything of course, but still just one person. _

_Then someone yelled out Garrison's name, and then everyone was yelling it, and when it came down to a vote it wasn't entirely unanimous, but the overwhelming majority was for Garrison. It was so cool. Garrison stood up – I think Laurene probably forewarned him that that's what would happen – and told everyone that he was willing to accept the position, on the condition that there be a new election every six years. He said that one of the failings of the Council was the appointment of Councilors for life, and that no one should have that kind of absolute power. Everyone seemed to like that idea._

_I've been thinking about that a lot lately – absolute power. The kind of power that the Chasers could give people. Xehanort and Isalena both wanted it for themselves. Right now I'm capable, I guess, of getting that kind of power, even though I don't want it. _

_That's why I've decided to destroy the Room of Awakening. I think it would be best if there just wasn't that temptation anymore. I mean, the Room itself isn't an awful thing. Being able to talk to the people that you care about that have died – well, it's what kept me sane through everything Isalena did to me. To us. And a lot of people would love something like that. But… now just about everyone in the Eternal Kingdom knows about how the Chasers were really made. Through my Keyblade. And there will always be someone who wants that power. Taking away that temptation is the best thing to do, I think. _

_They've put up a monument in the Temple of Heroes, where Terra's body was finally laid to rest. I don't know who went up there into that old manor and got it, but… the monument is beautiful. It says, 'In memory of Terra, the Great Liberator, who rose above expectations and never gave up. May his legacy live on forever.' It's right between the memorials of Ven and Aqua. It's kind of sweet – that the three of them are together even in death. I think that's what Terra would have wanted._

_There's also something that's been bothering me, something Ren said. Hanna's still on crutches, by the way, so she's been pretty much sitting around doing nothing, and Ren's been with her of course. I never realized how close they were. It's really sweet. Anyway, Ren wondered if maybe what happened to Sora had something to do with Isalena's Keyblade. You know how it makes you see whatever you fear most? Maybe some of its magic got to Sora, and that's why he's asleep – he's stuck in his own head, trapped by his fears. I know that's an awful thing to think about, but… Ren had kind of a point._

Riku lowered the letter for a moment to absorb the shock of that idea. Mickey looked at him quizzically, but Riku just shook his head and went back to reading.

_I'm going to go out to Isalena's manor, and see what I can find. Maybe there's something there that can help Sora. Maybe I'll even find her Keyblade, and we can put him right. _

_If I find anything, I'll come straight home, I promise, no matter what Kingdom City wants me to do. _

_Tell everyone on the islands that I said hi, and don't let Kairi worry too much, okay? That goes for you too. _

_I miss you._

_Bruixe_

Riku smiled sadly. 'I miss you.' That was as sentimental as it got for Bruixe.

"What'd she say?" Mickey wanted to know.

Wordlessly Riku handed the paper off to his friend and ran to tell Kairi.

* * *

"Why am I here again?" Ren wanted to know.

Bruixe rolled her eyes. Getting into Isalena's manor was so much easier the second time around. No soldiers, no crawling through rivers, no dead people splayed on the walls. "Because you're driving Garrison nuts hanging around his house all day, and I offered to take you off his hands."

"That's mean," Ren complained.

"No, it's true," Bruixe told her. "If I was trying to be mean, I would have called you annoying. And whiny."

"Ha ha," Ren said sarcastically.

"Besides, coming on my own would have sucked, and I couldn't exactly bring Hanna, could I?" Bruixe pointed out.

The younger girl ignored this and disappeared into another room. "What are we looking for again?" she called.

If Bruixe didn't like the girl so much, she would have strangled her. "Anything that looks like it might be magical. A Keyblade, or an orb, or something. Use your head. If it glows or floats, that's probably a good sign."

"Does that happen often? Glowing or floating things?"

"Not really," Bruixe admitted. "C'mon, give me a break here."

She prowled around the great hall, silver eyes roaming the surrounding doors. It would take forever to search all this.

"Nothing in here," Ren announced, flouncing back into the great hall. "Hey, did you check this?" she asked, squatting next to Isalena's thronelike chair. Just looking at it pissed Bruixe off. Who did she think she was, a queen?

"No," she said.

"C'mon, all creepy thrones have secret passages in them," Ren told her. "It's like, a mainstay of all castles."

"I don't think Isalena would be that cliché," Bruixe started to say, until Ren triggered something under one arm of the chair and the entire floor slid sideway to reveal a staircase downward.

"Told ya," Ren gloated.

"Who does that?" Bruixe wondered, taking the steps two at a time.

The room the stairs led to wasn't small, but there was writing all over the walls that gave the room the feeling of being very cramped. Bruixe stepped closer. Most of it seemed to be jumbled nonsense.

_Mysie Torken/ 12/ ladder, heights  
__Jiro Vignus/ 43/ dark, small, locks_

They were names, Bruixe realized, looking around. Something on the south wall caught her eye.

_Bruixe Rubesia/ 17/ water, death of friends_

Her stomach did a flip. The room was a catalogue of all the people Isalena had terrorized, and their fears.

"Creepy," she said, rubbing her name, but it wouldn't come off, didn't even smudge.

"Bruixe," Ren called, pointing to a dais at the end of the room. "What's that? Some kind of… altar?"

But Bruixe spotted the telltale crack along one side, perfectly straight and horizontal. "Not an alter. A chest." She braced her shoulder against the lid, shoving with all her might; the sound of scraping stone filled the room as the lid slid off and clattered to the floor.

"Bingo," she whispered.

Resting inside the chest was a pale orange and pink Keyblade, shaped like a lotus at one end, with another tiny lotus dangling from the keychain.

Ren reached for it. "It's so pretty," she said.

"Don't be fooled," Bruixe said darkly. "That thing is the most twisted Keyblade I've ever laid eyes on."

"What's it do?" Ren asked.

"Makes you see everything you're afraid of," Bruixe answered. "It makes you believe it's true."

Ren recoiled from the blade as if it were toxic. "Is that why your name's on the wall? Did she do it to you?"

Bruixe nodded.

"What… what did you see?" the younger girl whispered. "I mean, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to –"

"It's alright," Bruixe said. "I saw – water. I thought I was going to drown. And then – I saw my friends. Dead." Even just remembering it made her hands tremble, and she clenched them into fists.

"I'm sorry," Ren said.

Bruixe shrugged. "Don't worry about it. With this thing, we can save Sora."

"Really?" Ren asked.

"Hey, this was your idea," Bruixe replied.

* * *

Riku looked down at his best friend's face with worry.

He brushed a hand over Sora's forehead. "What are you seeing in there?" he wondered aloud. "Is it really that witch's magic making you like this?"

_Maybe I'll even find her Keyblade, and we can put him right._

"I hate this," Riku said to no one in particular.

The moon was rising above the horizon, white and luminous. He looked through the window, up at the stars. So many times he'd been sure he'd never make it back here, never see the island stars again. Once upon a time he'd wanted to get the hell off this tiny prison. Now he wouldn't trade it for anything, even after all the worlds he'd seen. There was nothing quite like the smell of the sea, the sound of the waves. The billion stars that you couldn't see through city lights were brilliant here, unlimited.

"Go get some sleep, Riku," said someone from the doorway, and he whirled – he hadn't even heard Leon come in. "Sora wouldn't want you to push yourself too far just for him."

"Yeah," Riku said. Those were pretty much the same words he'd used on Kairi. "Thanks, Leon."

"Sure," the older man said.

Outside, the world was perfectly still. There wasn't even a breeze tonight. Maybe that's why it was so easy to hear the sound – a soft _whoosh_ing. He could have sworn he'd heard it before. Then it came to him.

The sound of a portal being opened.

He took off sprinting towards the beach. He could think of only one person who could travel through the dark realm and who needed to be on the islands.

She came out around the corner of a house and he didn't see her in time, ran straight into her, sending both of them crashing to the ground, a knot of limbs.

"Well, hello to you too," Bruixe muttered.

"Sorry," he said, disentangling himself and jumping to his feet. Sora had always hated that move. It had sent him sprawling many a time.

"Welcome home," he said, pulling Bruixe up and into his chest, crushing her against him, burying his nose in her fragrant hair. "Mmm. Juniper."

"Um, yeah," she said. "You smell like palm trees."

"Well, I do live on an island," he pointed out, letting her pull away. "Did you find anything?"

"Of course I did," Bruixe replied, as if his question had been ridiculous. "Where is he?"

"At his house," Riku told her. "We thought it would be better than the hospital."

"Well, then, let's go," she said.

* * *

**review, please.**


	27. Wake

Hello everyone! We're nearing the end... buckle in!

* * *

_Watch the end from dying eyes  
__Now the dark is taking over  
__Show me where forever dies  
__Take the fall and run to heaven  
__All is lost again but I'm not giving in  
__I will not bow, I will not break  
__I will shut the world away  
_-Breaking Benjamin, "I Will Not Bow"

* * *

"I don't know if I can do this," Bruixe whispered.

Leon raised an eyebrow. "Now's not really the time for second guesses, Bruixe," he told her.

Riku and Bruixe had gone straight to Sora's room with Isalena's Keyblade. Leon was still on watch, leaning silently against the wall like a shadow. They'd all agreed to wait to try and wake Sora until Kairi could be here. So Riku had gone off to Kairi's house, never mind that it was three o'clock in the morning.

"I didn't mean I can't," Bruixe explained. "I just… don't know if I should."

"You don't think you should wake Sora up?" Leon asked incredulously.

Bruixe shook her head quickly. "No," she said, frustrated. "It's just… I'm not sure I should be the one to do it. It's… complicated."

Riku walked in, followed by Kairi, Yuffie, Aerith, and Tifa. Something about it reminded Bruixe of a mother hen and her chicks, and she stifled a laugh.

"We're here," Yuffie announced unnecessarily.

All eyes fell to the Keyblade leaning against one wall. Any time Bruixe held it, she couldn't help but remember what Isalena had done to her, and to countless others, commemorated on the walls of the hidden room under her manor. Needless to say, it was a memory she'd rather not have. She'd refused to touch it any more than absolutely necessary.

Bruixe ran a hand through her hair, glancing at Leon. He shrugged.

"What's wrong?" Riku asked, immediately sensing her unease.

"If I wake Sora up…" Bruixe began. "Well, I… I think I'll see his fears. Isalena could tell what I was afraid of when she used it on me. She said… well, never mind. But… it was horrible, having her… inside my head, like that. Someone's fears are their own private business. And I'm not sure Sora would want me to know what he's afraid of. We're friends and all, but… I sure as hell wouldn't want him inside my head."

"So you won't do it?" Riku whispered, face a mask of horror.

"So I think you should do it," Bruixe told him.

There was silence for a moment as this sunk in.

"It should be someone really close to him," she went on. "And you're his best friend."

"If it has to be someone close to him, then Kairi should do it," Riku argued.

Kairi shook her head. "He wouldn't want me to know what he's afraid of. He wouldn't want me to worry."

"You and Sora have been through more together than anyone," Bruixe said. "You've known each other all your life. You're like brothers. Inseparable. He didn't stop at anything to find you when you were separated. Yes, he loves Kairi. But he also cares deeply for you."

Riku couldn't argue with that. "I guess… I guess you're right."

He picked up Sekhmet, Isalena's Keyblade. Short and slim, it looked fragile and insignificant in his strong hands. But he knew, and Bruixe knew, just what it was capable of.

"How do you suppose I do this?" he asked, trying to keep his voice light.

"Just hold it out and wait for something to happen, remember?" Kairi answered.

Riku took one last look at his sleeping friend and then held out the Keyblade, letting its point rest on Sora's chest, just above his heart.

There was a blinding flash of light, and Bruixe heard Riku's breath catch as he experienced whatever was happening in Sora's head. An agonizingly long minute passed, and then the light faded.

"Did it work?" Yuffie whispered.

"Shhh," Tifa hushed her.

Riku let the Keyblade drop to the floor, visibly shaken. Bruixe laid a hand on his shoulder. "You okay?" she asked, and he nodded unconvincingly.

Kairi sat on the edge of the bed and took Sora's hand. "Sora?" she said softly. "Sora, can you hear me?"

His eyes flickered open, and there was an audible rush of air as everyone let out the breath they'd been holding. "Wha – where am I?" Sora murmured.

"Home," Kairi told him, relief obvious in her voice. "We're home."

"What's everyone doing here?" he asked.

"We were worried about you," Aerith answered.

"You slept for a long time," Leon added.

Sora let his head fall back against the pillow. "I – I don't know what happened… it was like I was trapped somewhere, and I saw… awful, terrible things…"

Bruixe looked up at Riku's face, but his expression was unreadable even to her. He tightened his arm around her shoulders.

"It's alright now," Kairi promised, tears streaming down her face.

Suddenly Sora reached up and pulled her to him, kissing her right there in front of everyone. Aerith smiled, Yuffie applauded and giggled, and Tifa and Leon just smirked.

"Well, this is awkward," Bruixe muttered.

When the two finally broke apart, Kairi's face was beet-red, but Sora just smiled. He sat up. "How long was I out?"

"Twelve days," Leon said.

Sora nodded, thinking. "I feel…"

"Yes?" Kairi asked, her face taking on that worried expression again.

"Hungry," Sora decided.

Everyone laughed. "Well, if he's hungry, I'd say he's made a full recovery," Tifa chuckled.

"Is that it?" Bruixe grumbled in mock-frustration. "Well, then, I'm going to bed."

"Me too," Riku agreed.

"You two play nice," Sora teased.

"Shut up," Bruixe warned him. "Just because you just woke up doesn't mean I won't beat you to a pulp, shrimp."

* * *

Riku was silent as he walked her to her little apartment, barely even noticing when they came to a stop in front of her door. "You okay?" Bruixe asked again, combing a hand through his silver bangs.

"Not really," he admitted, resting his head against her shoulder. He sounded exhausted, not physically, but something deeper.

"You want to talk about it?" she whispered.

"Not really," he repeated into her collarbone. She wrapped her arms around him in as comforting of a hug as she knew how. "You were right," he said finally. "Sora wouldn't have wanted you to see that. I… I had no idea. I know Sora better than anyone, and I never knew he was so afraid… well, I probably shouldn't tell you…"

"It's okay," Bruixe told him. "I don't want to know. But, Riku…"

"I'll be alright," he said, like he was trying to convince himself, but he didn't let her go.

She took a deep breath, then tugged him inside, guiding him to the couch. She made him lie down and stuffed a pillow under his head, sitting on the floor next to him.

"Go to sleep, okay?" she ordered, not unkindly. "I'm right here."

He mumbled something incomprehensible, already asleep, one hand wrapped around Bruixe's wrist, the other clutching a long tendril of black hair. She laid her head on his chest and listened to his heart – the heart that conquered the darkness, the strongest heart in the universe. The steady rhythm of it sang her to sleep.

* * *

When she woke up she was disoriented, because she wasn't in the same place she had fallen asleep. Someone – she assumed Riku – had carried her to her own bed.

It was strange, being back here. The sheets smelled clean and unfamiliar to her after having slept in Isalena's manor, her childhood room, and Garrison's house. There was a mirror across the room and she flinched automatically before remembering that she didn't need to fear her own reflection anymore.

She looked around. Bright sunlight was streaming in the window, and the little red clock display told her that it was two in the afternoon. _Jeez,_ she thought groggily. _Didn't mean to sleep this long._

Riku was long gone, the couch throw blanket neatly folded. There was a blueberry muffin sitting on her counter, one of the huge, individually packaged kind you could buy for a dollar, and she munched it while she changed into clean clothes.

There was no one at Riku's house, or Sora's, or Kairi's. She wondered if the Radiant Garden crew had headed home, and kind of wished she'd gotten to say goodbye. Even though she hadn't known them as long as Sora had, she still liked them. And they'd fought for the Eternal Kingdom, even though they hardly knew her. They were good people, and better friends.

Riku and Sora's boats were missing, which meant they were all out at the other island. Kairi had left her pink-flowered boat for Bruixe. _I really need to get my own,_ she thought as she reluctantly climbed into the seat.

By the time she got out to the island, her shoulders and arms were sore from rowing, but it was well worth it – she hadn't needed Riku's help this time.

Kairi and Selphie were sitting out on the edge of the dock, and they waved cheerily as Bruixe pulled in. "Where's Sora?" Bruixe asked. "I figured you wouldn't be letting him out of your sight, now that he's finally awake."

The redhead shrugged. "He and Riku are out at the cove. Male bonding."

"They're so cute," Selphie said, giggling.

Bruixe laughed. "Now that's creepy. You probably shouldn't say things like that."

"Head out of the gutter, Bruixe," Kairi said lightly.

"Want me to go spy on them?" she offered. "I mean, I am amazing at that sort of thing. Modest, too."

"No way!" Kairi said. "Those two are too smart, you'll get caught."

"See, now you've made it a challenge," Bruixe replied casually, "and now I have to go. Stay here. I'll be back."

"Is she always like that?" she heard Selphie ask as she clambered up a tree, but she didn't catch Kairi's answer. It was a simple jump from her first tree to the next, although the fact that they didn't have branches made it slightly more difficult to hang on. From the second tree she was able to step into the wooden tunnel cut into the rock wall, a tunnel which Sora had shown her once. It opened up near the star-shaped tree in the cove.

She slid forward against the wall of the tunnel, peeking around the corner of the cliff. She couldn't see anyone, but the zipline tower blocked her view of the other side of the cove. The guys were probably there. She dropped off the edge of the short cliff, landing quietly in the sand, and stole towards the tower. Now she could hear voices.

"…nothing to be ashamed about," Riku was saying.

"Easy for you to say," Sora retorted. "You've been there."

"Yeah, I have," his friend agreed. "And I know what it's like to be afraid of yourself. I mean, I'm pretty much the prime example of being a puppet of the darkness. But I was able to conquer it. And you're stronger than I am."

"No, I'm not," Sora argued. "Remember what Ansem – well, I guess Xehanort's Heartless – wrote in those journals of his? You were supposed to be the Keyblade master. Your heart was stronger."

"But I gave in to the darkness, and I missed my shot," Riku said. "What does that tell you? I never deserved it."

Sora was silent.

"Did you mean what you said after we defeated Xemnas?" Riku asked quietly. "About the darkness getting to you."

"I don't know," Sora whispered.

Bruixe felt kind of guilty about listening to this conversation – clearly private – but now that she was here, she didn't want to go back. It was like watching a bad wreck – you just couldn't turn away.

"Why were you the one that woke me up?" Sora asked. "I thought it would be Bruixe."

"She wouldn't do it," Riku told him. "She said she didn't want to see your fears. It would be like intruding."

"Maybe it would have been better to be her, though," the younger boy mused. "I… I know it must have been hard for you. To go through that again."

"It's easier the second time," Riku said. "You needed my help."

Suddenly something clicked inside Bruixe's head. _Sora was afraid of being controlled by the darkness,_ she realized. _No wonder Riku was so upset afterwards. Defeating the darkness is no easy task, and having to go through it again…_

"Thanks," Sora said quietly.

"No problem," his best friend answered.

Bruixe had a feeling this conversation was about to be over, and she raced back to the tunnel, sprinting so she would beat them back to the beach. As she dropped out of the other end, Kairi waved her over to the dock.

"What were they talking about?" she asked.

Bruixe shook her head guiltily. "I don't think it's something they'd want you to know about. Or me, for that matter. It's kind of… private. Where'd Selphie go?"

"Back home," Kairi said.

"Hey!" Sora called from down the beach, and he and Riku ran over, grinning, giving no indication that they had just been talking about their deepest, darkest fears.

"How long have you been here?" Riku asked Bruixe.

She shrugged. "Not long. Twenty minutes, maybe. Hey, as long as we're all here, I have something to ask you guys."

She was met by three pairs of questioning eyes – violet, blue, aquamarine.

"Will you come back to the Eternal Kingdom with me?" she asked. Then, realizing what that must sound like, she quickly added, "Just for a day. Hey, it probably won't even take the whole day. But there's something I still need to do, and you never really said goodbye to everyone – not that I don't understand, of course, I mean, Sora, you were unconscious for crying out loud. But Garrison mentioned that he'd like to thank you personally."

"What is it that you need to do?" Kairi asked.

Bruixe bit her lip, but it was Riku who answered. "You're gonna destroy the Room of Awakening, right?"

Bruixe nodded.

"Whoa," Sora said. "You, like, read her mind. Creepy."

"Not really," Riku replied. "She mentioned it in her letter."

"Of course we'll go with you," Kairi said. "Hanna and Ren and all of them are our friends, too."

"Yeah, and I kind of owe you one," Sora agreed.

Bruixe looked at Riku. He smirked. "As if you had to ask. Come on, let's go."

* * *

**only one more chapter… review, please :)**


	28. No Regrets

Last chapter, guys. Isn't it strange? I started _The Last Nobody_ about three years ago. Who would've thought it would turn into a full-blown trilogy? And I have you guys to thank for it. I mean, if no one had read TLN, that would've been the end. I was pretty satisfied with the ending of TLN… but then I got some reviews asking for more, and I decided to go ahead and make it a trilogy. Pretty cool, eh? You guys have been awesome. Thanks for sticking around to the end.

After this I've been thinking of another project I want to tackle, another story, completely non-Kingdom-Hearts related. If you're interested, go check it out on . My pen name there is dreamer1015. I think. Maybe it's dreamer 815. Who knows. I haven't been on in a while… lol. Anyway, I haven't started posting yet but I will soon.

That said… for the last time… Enjoy.

* * *

_But if my silence made you leave  
Then that would be my worst mistake  
So I will share this room with you  
And you can have this heart to break_

_And so it goes, and so it goes  
And you're the only one who knows  
-Billy Joel, "And So It Goes"

* * *

_

The journey to the Eternal Kingdom was quick and painless, made easier by the fact that no one was missing, no one was dead, no one was in trouble, and there were no tempests of impending doom lurking on the horizon.

They arrived at Garrison's house by noon. Bruixe went to knock on the door, but before she could, it swung open as if someone had been waiting for her.

She couldn't help but gape at the person inside. She'd never seen him before – she was sure she would have remembered someone so… huge. He had to be close to eight feet tall, and at least 250 pounds. His skin was chocolate brown, and he studied Bruixe with scrutinizing black eyes.

"Can I help you?" he asked in a deep, slow, voice.

Bruixe was still too stunned to form coherent words, but luckily Sora was a bit quicker on the uptake. "Uh… yeah… we're looking for Hanna and, uh, Ren… yeah."

"Bruixe!" yelled someone from behind the behemoth.

"It's alright, Casy, they're friends," came another voice, and the monster – Casy? – stepped aside submissively.

"Yes, Miss Hanna," he said, almost meekly.

"What is he, a bouncer or something?" Sora muttered under his breath.

"Be nice," Kairi admonished, equally as quiet.

"Bruixe!" Ren yelled again, giving the older girl a big hug. "I missed you!"

"Yeah, I've been gone, like, a whole day," Bruixe said sarcastically, but she returned the hug. "That's practically eternity."

"You said you came to see us?" Hanna asked.

"Yeah, I thought you might want to come with us," Bruixe said. "We're going to the Room of Awakening."

"Yeah, it's now or never, 'cause Bruixe wants to destroy it," Sora chimed in.

The sisters exchanged looks.

"I'm still on crutches," Hanna pointed out, waving one as if to prove it.

"Don't be a pansy," Ren told her. "You've been walking around without them for days now."

"I could give you a piggyback ride," Riku offered.

There was silence as Hanna contemplated this. "I'll be fine," she said finally, evidently having decided that a piggyback ride would be much too undignified for a lieutenant of the Watch.

"Well, then, that's settled," Bruixe said.

* * *

It was nearly dusk by the time they reached the old manor, which looked very foreboding in the long shadows and dim light. "Creepy," Ren muttered.

Bruixe led them all down into the Room of Awakening, unable to suppress a shudder. Her memories of this place were not good ones. Riku put a hand on her shoulder as if he could read her mind.

"How does it work?" Kairi asked.

"You sit in the chair," Bruixe said, directing Hanna to sit down, "and put your hands on the arms – there's a smooth patch there, you feel that? Then you just say the name of who you want. Or you can just picture them in your head, that works too."

Hanna closed her eyes, and the room flared to life, the strange runes on the walls glowing whitish-blue. A smoky grey figures materialized from nowhere.

"Terra!" Ren exclaimed, and the Liberator looked around slowly.

"Where am I?" he asked.

"In the realm of the living," Bruixe answered. "The Room of Awakening."

Terra nodded in understanding. He was one of the few people Bruixe knew that she didn't have to explain things to.

"Terra," Hanna whispered, standing, and stumbled forward into Terra's arms.

Everyone else in the room gaped as Terra returned the embrace, mouth twisting in his trademark wry grin, and lowered his face to rest in her hair.

"Awkward much?" Sora asked, putting one hand over the other and rotating his thumbs in an imitation of a turtle.

"You're telling me," Ren muttered. "She's my sister."

"I had no idea he was… she…" Bruixe started, but couldn't finish. Next to her, Riku's shoulders shook with suppressed laughter.

"Thank you for taking care of Ren," Hanna murmured. "When I was… when I couldn't."

"I'm only glad you're safe," Terra told Hanna.

"Well, I have you to thank for it," she replied.

"Hey, we helped too," Sora said loudly.

Terra seemed to notice the other people in the room for the first time. "Well, hello there, Changeling," he said. "And everyone."

"It's good to see you again," Bruixe said.

Riku nodded. "That day at the manor, I… I should have helped…"

"Don't blame yourself," Terra told him, looking first at Riku, then at Bruixe. "I acted rashly. It is an honor to be slain defending one's friends. I lived my life to the fullest. I believe I did as much as I could to make an impact on the worlds."

"You did," Bruixe agreed. "No one could ever argue with that. Your legacy will be remembered forever."

"What more could one ask for?" Terra asked, smiling. "Did you come here merely to see me? Or is there more at hand?"

Everyone looked at Bruixe. She shifted uncomfortable. "I want to destroy this place," she admitted. "So that no one can ever use it to create Chasers again."

Terra nodded gravely. "An admirable cause," he said. He looked at Hanna for a long time, then said, "Send me back, Changeling," he said. "I am… content."

Hanna's eyes were sad, but she nodded, and Bruixe brushed a hand along the arm of the chair. Terra's form dissolved in front of them, until Hanna was left clutching nothing but air.

Ren moved in immediately to give her sister a big hug. "Why didn't you tell me?" she demanded.

"I didn't mean to hide it," the older girl answered. "So much happened so fast… and it was just… hard to say."

"Isn't he a little old for you?" Sora wondered. "Just how old are you, anyway?"

Bruixe smacked him, hard, in the back of the head.

"Enough about me," Hanna said, clearly wanting to change the subject. "Isn't there someone you'd like to introduce to us, Bruixe?"

"Roxas!" Sora yelled.

"Roxas isn't dead, nitwit," Riku told him.

"Oh yeah."

"Can you summon two people at once?" Kairi wondered aloud.

"I don't know," Bruixe said, climbing into the chair. "I've never tried."

Her friends' faces came easily to her mind, crystal clear from the long year they'd spent together, inseparable. When she opened her eyes, there were Axel and Demyx, both grinning so wide it threatened to tear apart their faces. She jumped forward as they simultaneously threw arms around her, Demyx practically cracking her ribs, Axel grinding a noogie into her scalp.

"Guys," she said happily. "There's some people I want you to meet."

Within minutes they were all acquainted and sitting easily on the floor, chattering away as if they'd known each other all their lives.

"So you're Riku," Axel said dubiously.

"You're Axel," Riku answered coolly.

They stared impassively at each other for a minute, then tilted their chins back at exactly the same moment.

"You're one lucky guy," Axel acknowledged.

Riku smirked. "I guess I am."

"Stop that," Bruixe ordered.

She looked around the circle, trying to memorize the moment, one face after another. Riku. Axel. Sora. Kairi. Hanna. Ren. Demyx. The best friends she could ever ask for, from every part of her life – her past, her present, her future.

"I love you guys," she said suddenly.

Everyone stared at her.

"Ooookay, who are you and what have you done with the real Bruixe?" Demyx demanded.

"That is the real Bruixe," Ren said.

"Nuh-uh," Demyx argued. "Bruixe is sarcastic. And she hits people."

"She's never hit me," Riku said.

"Not true," Bruixe corrected. "I slapped you, once. In Twilight Town."

He grinned. "Oh yeah."

Axel snickered.

"You've got no room to talk," Demyx pointed out, "she threw you off a tower."

"She tried to kill me the first time we met," Sora said gloomily.

Kairi, Ren, and Hanna exchanged glances. "She's never hit us," Ren said proudly, as if this was a great accomplishment.

"Sexist," Axel muttered.

"She must really like you," Demyx agreed.

"What's not to like?" Kairi asked sweetly.

But the playful banter couldn't last forever, and after an hour Bruixe felt a nagging at the corner of her brain.

_If I don't do this soon, I won't ever want to._

She stood up, brushing dusty hands off on her jeans, and everyone followed suit.

"This is the last time, huh," Demyx said, all joking aside.

Bruixe smiled wryly. She'd never been a good liar, and Demyx could always read her like an open book. "Yeah, it is, Waterboy. The Room of Awakening… there's too much power here, too much temptation. I've got to destroy it."

Neither of them tried to argue with her. It was pointless. "Do me a favor," Axel said. "Torch the place."

"I'd planned on it," she said.

Axel stepped up to Sora and Kairi. "I don't think I ever apologized," he told them. "I caused you a lot of trouble, huh?"

Bruixe didn't hear what their response was, because Demyx had crushed her into the biggest hug of her life. "I'll miss you, Bruixe," he said.

"Same here," she said. "Remember what you told me?"

He smiled.

"No regrets," they said together.

"Right," she agreed. "You can't spend your life looking back."

"You gotta go with the flow," Demyx finished.

They hugged again, and Demyx turned to Riku. "You better watch out for her," he ordered, as serious as Bruixe had ever seen him. "Bruixe can't do anything on her own."

"I will," Riku answered just as gravely.

Then Axel was in front of her, and Bruixe glared at him. "Don't try anything funny this time."

"I hadn't even thought about it," he replied honestly.

He gave her a scorching hug, and she backed away quickly. "Don't let all that smoke go to your head, hotcakes," she told him.

Axel ruffled her hair, pressing a hand into hers, and she felt a searing energy pass through her skin – the last remnants of his power. "Use it wisely. And take care of yourself, kiddo."

She swallowed hard, and nodded. "I promise."

When everyone had said their goodbyes, Axel and Demyx waved, and just as quickly as they had come, they were gone, and this time… it was for forever.

"Everyone stand back," she ordered, and her remaining friends hastily backed out the door, clambering up the stairs.

Bruixe set her jaw, holding out her hand, and let concentrated Axel's power in her palm. A tiny flower of flame blossomed there, small at first, then brighter and hotter as it grew. She let it bloom until it scorched her skin, until she knew it would be enough to leave a scar – something she would have for eternity, as a reminder.

Then she turned her hand over, letting the flames fall to the floor, and they spread rapidly, flickering around the sculpted chair, climbing the walls, filling the room with heat and smoke.

When she was sure the inferno was too great to extinguish itself, she backed out the door and slammed it shut, sealing the edges with more sizzling heat. With the last of the magic, she traced words on the door.

_THANK YOU._

As she turned her back on the Room of Awakening for the last time, she could have sworn she heard the ghost of laughter, and two voices in perfect harmony.

"Goodbye."

* * *

**And that, my friends, is the end of the Twilight Avenger trilogy.**

**Thanks for sticking around.**

**~14~**


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